I Do or I Don't?
by AngelicFairy
Summary: Ash and Misty are finally getting married! But planning for the wedding isn't as easy as it seems when obstacles in the form of questionable young women come in the way of holy matrimony. Same lovable old school characters but new situations of fun!
1. The Beginning of a Million Things

*****Author's Note*****

Helloooo lovely readers and welcome to the sequel of _Misty the Matchmaker_. I am going to do my best to write this as a stand-alone story (meaning reading the first part is not necessary though appreciated!!!). There will definitely be references of course but aside from that, completely new situations but same lovable and old school Pokemon characters.

So if you are a new reader, then I hope you stick around. If you're here because of MTM, then I gladly look forward to your comments once again! ^_^

Without further adieu, let's get to our story!

**Main Summary**: Ash and Misty are finally getting married! But planning for the wedding isn't as easy as it seems when obstacles in the form of questionable young women come in the way of holy matrimony. Who are they and why do they all keep going after Ash when he's clearly taken? And why does he not seem to mind at all?

**Dedication**: To everyone who read and reviewed _Misty the Matchmaker_, thereby encouraging me to continue to this sequel.

**Disclaimer**: I only own Serena and any last names I've made up for characters.

**"I Do" or "I Don't"?  
**

Chapter 1: The Beginning of A Million Things

Hideous. Gaudy. Atrocious. Repulsive.

Those were the thoughts going through twenty-seven year old Misty Waterflower's mind as her fiancé gleefully pointed to particularly tasteless wedding décor. True, Misty wanted Ash Ketchum's participation in their wedding to be more than just showing up on the wedding day. She wanted his involvement in all the planning but now, as the twenty-eight year old man picked up a colorful tablecloth bordered with pink flamingos, she thought perhaps she should have just left him back on the couch at her apartment where she had found him sleeping after her Friday morning run even though he had promised to be up and ready by nine.

One hand held the tablecloth with the happiness of a child presenting breakfast to their mother on Mother's Day and in the other hand he held a multi-colored lei.

"Luau wedding! No one's ever had one!"

"And no one ever will," Misty responded, snatching the horrible things away and slapping them back on the shelves.

"Aw c'mon Mist! I can't believe you never told me there were themed weddings," Ash said moving on to tiki stands and waving them in her face.

Misty rolled her eyes. "There's a very good reason for that."

They continued through the aisles at the wedding shop. Misty had visited the Cerulean shop before when her friends Melody Singer and Duplica Anderson, now Melody Kirk and Duplica Snap, were getting married. But then she hadn't paid much attention to detail as she was now since her own wedding was just seven months down the road.

Even though they had gotten engaged two months ago at Melody and Ritchie's wedding, but only recently found a September opening at the banquet hall Misty wanted to get married in, she had yet to hire a wedding coordinator. But it was fine since Misty preferred doing a lot of things on her own anyway. Such as she was now. Except her wayward fiancé wasn't being much help, she thought wryly, watching Ash disappear around the corner and down another aisle.

Misty just sighed and let him adventure. She wondered how the man had actually managed to keep his job as Junior Vice President of the ever-expanding Oak Tech Operations with his childish demeanor these past years. Alas, she still loved him, though on days like this, she often had to remind herself of his positive traits.

Ooh pretty, Misty thought as she reached up to take a closer look at a glass centerpiece when something poked her in the side. "Hey!"

"Look at this Mist! Lightsabers! We could make the guys each carry one and they could dress up like Jedi! And I could dress up as Hans Solo and you can dress up as –"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Ketchum," Misty said as she grabbed the glowing blue sword from his hands and pointed it to his face threateningly.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Sheesh. Suck all the fun out of the wedding why don't ya." He snatched the lightsaber back. "Man this is so boring. When do we get to do the fun stuff?"

"Like what?" Misty asked, returning to the centerpiece. She turned the swan shaped flower holder in her hand then put it back on the shelf, deciding against it.

Ash followed Misty as she ventured further into the store. "Well, like cake tasting. Todd and Ritchie both told me that's the best part."

"Typical men."

"The cake is important!" Ash declared. "Oh hey what about –"

"No."

"You didn't even look at it. This centerpiece is so cool! It's a dancing bear. For a circus theme."

"Sometimes I wonder if you're really twenty-eight."

"And sometimes I wonder if you're not really eighty-eight."

"Well then," Misty said turning on her heels to eye her fiancé coyly. "I think I look pretty good for an eighty-eight year old, don't you?" She struck a pose and twirled a lock of her red hair, the rows of glass vases reflecting the lights above as her backdrop.

Ash smirked and drew closer. "Oh. I'd definitely say so."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm." Ash reached his arms out to grab Misty by the waist.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Mmhmm," Ash murmured pulling the woman towards him and looking down at her. He bent his head towards hers.

"Great! Then we'll go with these centerpieces!" Misty exclaimed cheerily, shoving Ash away and plucking a tall thick-walled cylindrical vase from the shelf behind her. As Ash collected himself and glowered at Misty, she hummed happily to herself. "Oh these'll look great with the flowers I want. We'll need at least fifty and we'll need the store clerk to put in an order."

As Misty began to walk towards the front of the store, she realized Ash wasn't following. She glanced back. He was staring after her with an expression like that of a puppy whose favorite toy had just been taken away. She grinned. She knew it was mean of her to leave him hanging but really, this stuff needed to be done.

"You get through this day with me and I'll cook you dinner tonight."

Ash looked up hopefully. "Steak with mashed potatoes and that gravy I love?"

"Plus my homemade apple pie."

"Throw in your shrimp pasta and we've got a deal."

Misty laughed and grabbed Ash's hand, dragging him away to find a clerk as she said, "Deal. Now c'mon you bottomless pit. We've got a lot to do."

"Eh? What more do we need to do besides centerpieces?" Ash asked as he allowed Misty to pull him towards the front.

"Ash! Did you not pay attention to anything I said last night?"

"Er…I know we're supposed to go cake tasting at some point?"

"That's the only thing you heard? And that's not even till much later!"

"So what's today?"

Misty sighed. "Just follow my lead and do what I say."

"Oh I also remember that we have to finalize the menu!"

"Yes. Along with the invitations, our outfits, the décor, and about a million other things!"

"Isn't that what a wedding coordinator's for?"

"I'm surprised you know that they exist."

Ash shrugged. "Serena made me watch all these wedding movies. One of them was _The Wedding Planner_."

"I'll have to talk to her about that one."

"Why? I thought it was a pretty good movie."

"The groom goes off with the wedding planner."

"So? Who wouldn't want to run off with ?"

Misty just shook her head in exasperation. "And this is supposed to encourage me to hire a planner?"

"Better than doing everything yourself."

"And even better than that is to actually have a groom on your wedding day."

"Touché."

~*~

Professor Samuel Oak was a patient and kind-hearted man. He lived for the world of science, wanting to know the whys and hows of every little thing so that he could utilize the information for the good of mankind. He had even expanded his wealth of knowledge by building his company from scratch to what it was now, Oak Tech Operations, a world-renowned and well-established cooperation. Pallet Town was on the map because of O.T.O. He had branches in several cities, each working on various projects for the betterment of humanity and advancement of the sciences and health care.

As the CEO and Founder, Professor Oak had high hopes that Oak Tech would be continued by his own family. Sadly, his only son and daughter-in-law had passed away many years ago, but they had left the professor a most treasured gift: a bright and eager grandson.

Professor Oak had dotted upon his grandson, caring for him like his own, giving him the world, and becoming extremely proud when he showed ambition and diligence for wanting to take over the company. Not only that, but he had managed to wrangle his best friend into helping and despite their antics, the two boys together made a formidable team to be reckoned with, coming up with new ideas and always wanting to be put to the challenge.

Unfortunately, Professor Oak realized that he had perhaps spoiled his grandson a little too much and taught him so much about the sciences and business that he forgot to teach him about some other things. Such as commitment. To women.

The elderly professor sighed as he eyed twenty-nine year old Gary Oak who sat in the CEO's office couch watching a basketball game and munching on an apple. Over the past several years, the old man had yet to meet a single girl who had come into his grandson's life who might be a suitable life-partner. He knew Gary dated. Oh yes he knew that very well from the tabloids his secretary was always reading. But that only meant Gary was no closer to settling down now than he was ten years ago.

Professor Oak could see his dream of the Oak lineage and cute great-grandchildren to play with dwindling away before his very eyes and decided that it was finally time to take action. Better late than never.

"Ahem."

Gary cocked his head but didn't turn his eyes away from the television set. "Yeah Gramps?"

Professor Oak pressed a button under his desk and the TV shut off.

"Gramps! That was the last-quarter!"

"And you're in your last-quarter Gary."

"Huh?"

Professor Oak sighed and rubbed his temple. He motioned Gary to come sit across from him.

"Gary. You are the heir to Oak Tech."

"I know."

"And as much as I love being CEO, I am old and want to retire."

Gary finished his apple and threw the core into the wastebasket. "I know. I thought that's why we decided you were going to pass the torch to me officially on my thirtieth birthday this December."

"That was the plan."

"Was?" Gary now straightened in his seat and gave his grandfather a curious look.

The professor nodded solemnly. "I've made a decision. You must be engaged before your thirtieth birthday otherwise you will never inherit the company."

Gary stared. "Have you been taking those painkillers for your knee again Grandpa? You know they make your mind go all weird sometimes."

"I am not under the influence of drugs Gary! Listen to me you playboy grandson of mine!" Professor Oak said in exasperation looking across the desk at the younger man. "I've managed to overlook your player antics thus far but you have almost lived three decades. Thirty years! And not even a stable girlfriend! What will happen to the future of Oak Tech? I must have assurance that our lineage will be carried on. All your friends are getting married and settling down but you are still fooling around with tramps and floozies."

"Hey now Gramps. They're not all tramps. Just the other day I went out with a banker."

Professor Oak scowled. "You are missing the point son."

Gary sighed and slumped back in his seat. "I get it Gramps, I get it. You want me to find a wife and make you a great-grandkid."

"You needn't make it sound like a death-sentence."

"I'm not a one-woman man. You might as well kiss Oak Tech's lineage goodbye."

"You really want to give up your inheritance like that? After all these years of studying, working, and getting to where you are now? Gone because you can't wrap your mind around the simple idea of marriage and family like all normal people?"

Gary was silent, contemplating as he looked down at his hands.

"My dear Gary, you will see that I'm doing this for your own good. I want to see you happy with someone. Ever since Iv –"

Gary quickly stood up and slammed a hand on the tabletop. "I said I understand Grandfather. Fiancée before December or no company. Sure."

Professor Oak didn't even flinch, only gave his grandson a sad smile. "And Gary? It must be someone you plan to spend the rest of your life with. Not someone to marry for the sake of getting the CEO position and then divorce. I want you to find someone to love and someone to love you."

"Right."

"Remember, I'm doing this because I love you but I won't be around for that much longer."

"Your love sure drives a hard bargain Gramps."

Professor Oak watched as Gary left the spacious office then let out a heavy sigh. He knew that approaching Gary about this would be the easy part. His grandson, no matter how cocky, arrogant, and flirtatious he may be, had never been disobedient. In fact, the professor couldn't ask for a more obedient grandson aside from the random little messes he used to get into as a child. The two were all each other had in terms of family and the way the professor would do anything for Gary, he knew that Gary would do anything for him.

Including finding a woman to marry. In reality, it wasn't just so the Oak line would continue. Professor Oak also wanted Gary find true happiness and love. But judging from Gary's lack of enthusiasm, that would be the difficult task in all this.

Someone please help my boy, Professor Oak thought looking up to the ceiling.

~*~

Twenty-six year old Duplica Snap paced. She wasn't typically a pacer. She was typically the type to remain calm and take things in a positive, light-hearted manner.

But now, she was anxious. Nervous.

She didn't need to be. No. There was absolutely no reason for her to retrace her steps back and forth, back and forth on her new, soft living room carpet behind the sofa, twisting her hands into the hem of her shirt.

But she was. And only paused every once in a while to cast a quick glance up to the clock that sat on the mantle of the electric fireplace. It seemed as though the minute hand mocked her, moving at the speed of a sloth and refusing to let time go by faster. Although, Duplica wasn't entirely sure she wanted time to move any faster.

Slow. Yes, slow was good.

She heard a car engine zooming closer, then slowing down as it neared until it finally stopped outside in the driveway. A door slammed shut and moments later, the front door opened.

Her thirty-year old husband walked into the living room and dropped his coat and camera bag on a chair before enveloping his wife in his arms. "Hey honey!"

"Hi Todd," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. She drew back.

"Are you feeling better? Your girls missed you today," Todd replied, referring to Duplica's modeling students.

Duplica shrugged. "Yeah. Well, I'm feeling as well as can be expected."

Todd eyed his wife. "Meaning? Is everything okay?"

Duplica placed her hands behind her back and looked up. "Well Todd. If you don't mind babies, then yes, everything is okay."

"Oh are you planning to open up a second job like a babysitting service?"

The woman stared blankly at her husband. Sometimes, she wondered how his mind worked.

"I'm fine with whatever you do just so long as your charges don't get into my dark room," Todd continued as he went back to pick up his coat. He stepped into the small foyer area and opened the coat closet to hang up his garment.

As he worked a hanger into the sleeves, Duplica narrowed her eyes. She had been worried about how to deliver the news and sure, she knew her husband usually responded better to direct approaches, but hadn't she been clear enough? And for what she was trying to tell him to not even register after he knew she had been to the doctor and just said the word 'babies'!?

The worry and anxiety now gone and replaced with indignation and anger, Duplica stomped over to her husband.

"No you idiot! I am not opening up a babysitting service for other people! I am opening one for myself because we're having a baby!"

Todd froze, one hand clutching the hanger, the other holding up a coat sleeve. He slowly turned. "Wha?"

Duplica heaved a sigh. "Yes. I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father."

Todd's eyes rolled to the back of his head.

THUD.

*****Author's Note*****

Well? What did you all think? I know it's a little slow but I promise, I have lots planned for our precious characters. Most of you probably have figured out that I like to build up the story layer by layer. Muahaha. Anyways, this is my first time writing a sequel of any kind, especially set so many years later than the first part, so I am taking this not only as a way to entertain readers, but also to practice my plotting and story outlining/organizing.

Please, please, please REVIEW!!! For those of you who are new, just so you know, I respond to each and every review in the next chapter so any questions you have I will try to answer. I appreciate any constructive criticism given politely as well as general comments.

I look forward to your feedback! :)

Take care,

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Preview of Chapter 2:**

"You think bribing me will get you out of trouble for interrupting?"

"Aw but Ms. Seer! It's your favorite!" Amber called out.

"Yes it is Ms. Seer. You can't tell me you don't want this after a long, hard day of work," Gary taunted, slowly waving the cup before her eyes.

She could smell the cinnamon mixed with the aroma of vanilla wafting to her nostrils. Mmm…caffeine disguised in the form of fat and sugar.


	2. Class Distraction

*****Author's Note*****

Thank you all for the reviews! I am happy to see many of you MTM readers and reviewers are back!!! You all are amazing! Also, a quick correction from Chapter 1. For some reason, the bolded part was missing so here is that little piece of dialogue again. Apologies for that:

"The groom goes off with the wedding planner."

"So? Who wouldn't want to run off with _**J Lo**?"_

Misty just shook her head in exasperation. "And this is supposed to encourage me to hire a planner?"

Again, I dunno why it suddenly went missing because I'm sure I didn't delete it but anyways, on to the fic!

**Disclaimer**: I own Serena and Amber and any last names I've made up.

**I Do or I Don't?**

Chapter 2: Class Distraction

"Does anyone have any more questions?"

Serena Seer looked around the classroom and was unsurprised to see that most of her students had not only packed away their textbooks, but also the study guide. She sighed. A Friday afternoon in the last class of the day meant everyone's energy was at the bare minimum and being only a decade older than her students, Serena remembered well what it felt like.

However, she was no longer a student but instead, their teacher and as such, she still had a duty.

She waved her hand around. "C'mon it's not time to go yet. Test is on Monday so this is your last chance to ask questions!"

"I've got a question," a male voice, too deep to belong to one of her students, spoke up.

Serena emitted a slight groan as the energy level suddenly peaked, the teenage girls all sitting up straighter, giggling and turning in their seats. Even the boys managed to lift their heads from their desks to gaze back.

"Gary," Serena said locking eyes with the man standing in the doorway. "School isn't over yet so can you please wait?"

"But Ms. Seer, it's almost over! We don't mind if Mr. Oak comes in," one of her more out-spoken students, Amber, piped up, then giggled as Gary sent a wink in her direction.

"But I mind," Serena replied. "We are trying to review before the test."

Gary merely shrugged and sauntered in, deliberately taking slow steps between the aisles of desks so he could smile down at his adoring fans. Serena sighed and realized that if she had momentarily lost her class before his entrance, then now they were completely disconnected from her. At least he had the decency to show up at the end of the day instead of in the middle of an exam like last time, Serena thought wryly. She took her seat, waiting to see what he brought as offerings this time.

"Vanilla latte with two percent milk, a dash of cinnamon and extra whipped cream."

Serena found herself staring at a coffee cup, gentle wisps of steam curling out from the mouthpiece.

"You think bribing me will get you out of trouble for interrupting?"

"Aw but Ms. Seer! It's your favorite!" Amber called out.

"Yes it is Ms. Seer. You can't tell me you don't want this after a long, hard day of work," Gary taunted, slowly waving the cup before her eyes.

She could smell the cinnamon mixed with the aroma of vanilla wafting to her nostrils. Mmm…caffeine disguised in the form of fat and sugar.

"I also brought you a giant sugar cookie."

The said sugar cookie now appeared in front of her eyes beside the cup of coffee and the two tantalizing treats called out to her. Not that she didn't enjoy teaching. She loved it and her students were great. But after a week of dealing with private school teenagers…

"Fine," Serena said giving in, unable to stop the grin from forming on her face.

Gary laughed as he set his gifts for her down atop her desk then turned to face the class. "She has taken the bait!"

Serena rolled her eyes as her students cheered. She stood up. "Since you all don't seem to have any more questions and class is almost over – yes Amber?"

Amber lowered her hand and gave her teacher an appraising look. Serena was almost afraid of having called on her. Though very bright and energetic, she was also very spontaneous and you could never tell what would come out of that mouth next.

"Ms. Seer. Are you _sure_ you and Mr. Oak aren't dating?"

Nope. Shouldn't have called on her at all, Serena thought as she glared at the chuckling Gary before responding. "Amber. First of all, as I have told you before, it is highly inappropriate to ask your teacher about her personal life. And secondly, no we are not and never will date."

"Yeah. Been there, done that," Gary said through chuckles.

"What!?" a chorus of voices rang out.

"Gary!!!!"

"You two – "

"Your teach is a feisty one. Even bit my –"

BRRRRRIIIIIIIINGG!

"Oh man Ms. Seer with the player?"

"I knew it!"

"She's too good for –"

"Wow this is so –"

"Lip! I bit his LIP!"

But the damage was done. Without giving their poor distraught teacher a chance to rectify the situation, the sixteen and seventeen year olds of her Advanced Psychology class rose from their seats and headed out into the hallway, discussing the latest bit of information they had just received.

As the last student filed out with Serena still lamely attempting to call out "No! We hated each other! I bit his lip for trying to kiss me! I kicked him! We didn't date!" she whirled on her heels to face the laughing man beside her, dark eyes flashing dangerously.

"You jerk! By the time I get back to school on Monday there's going to be rumors that we were once married and I gave away our lovechild for adoption!"

"Have you considered being the creative writing teacher?"

Serena picked up her coffee and held it as close to Gary's head as possible, unable to get it completely over his head due to their height difference.

"Calm down. I didn't say that much," Gary said, grabbing her wrist and gently bringing her arm back down.

"No. But these are teenagers, Gary. Teen-age-ers. They suck up tidbits of truth like leeches then spit them back out in the form of soap opera-ish gossip. And lately, the personal lives of teachers is their favorite topic," Serena replied putting the coffee cup on the table. She decided not to mention that so far this year _she_ was the lucky teacher to gossip about ever since Gary took to showing up unannounced at Cascade Academy. His ego was already too big to fit through the doorway. No need to help enlarge it.

Serena sighed and turned to start erasing the notes on the whiteboard. "Anyways, what do you want?"

"Why do you assume I want something?"

"Um because I know you?"

Gary shrugged and flashed his signature cocky grin. She raised an eyebrow and continued erasing. Any other woman might fall for his tricks but it hadn't worked on her the first time and it wasn't about to five years later.

"Fine. I have a date tonight and I need to get ready at your place."

"You drove an hour and a half from Pallet to Cerulean for a date?" Serena asked incredulously as she set down the eraser.

"It took me an hour" - here Serena shook her head in exasperation - "And what can I say. She's a nurse."

"At least your standards are rising. It better not be a friend of Joy's though," Serena said, referring to their friend Brock Takeshi's wife.

"So…keys?"

Serena went to her desk and fished around in her purse. Finding the keys, she held them up. But when Gary made a move to take them, she dangled them out of his reach behind her head. "You better promise me that you won't leave until I get home. I don't want to be locked out again!"

"You really need to stop complaining so much. You'll get wrinkles and that's not going to help you find a husband."

"Gary! I was locked out for THREE HOURS! And that was _after_ I proctored the national college entrance exams for FIVE hours without lunch!"

Gary leaned forward, putting his hands around her on the desk, trapping her between him and the desk. He bent forward. "Little Maria, I promise I will not leave you out like an abandoned cat. Now, may I please have the keys?"

Serena looked off to the side, feeling her cheeks heat up slightly. "You are totally violating my personal space here," she said, bringing her arm with the keys forward. "And stop calling me that!"

"You know you like it," he said with a grin then took the keys. He straightened and added, "And by the way, I'd like chocolate mousse tonight. Thanks!"

Before Serena could get in a word edgewise, the Junior President of Oak Tech Operations waltzed out of the room, twirling her apartment keys on his finger and winking to the teacher that was about to enter the room.

"Serena! You didn't tell me Gary Oak was stopping by today! I would've dressed up more!" Her co-worker squealed then poked her head out the doorway. "And I can't believe you didn't tell me you two were like _that_! Also –"

As the young teacher went on and on, Serena simply ignored the incessant chatter, wondering whether to put rat poison in Gary's cup of mousse. Whenever he visited Cerulean, instead of staying out too late, he always came back to her place the same night to have his requested homemade dessert, which for some reason, she always complied with making. She didn't know how or why this little tradition of theirs had started but it had and though he still infuriated her at times, she did enjoy hanging out with him.

When he wasn't being stupid.

And she especially appreciated his company as of late since all her close female friends were busy being married or engaged. Not that she was envious. But it was lonely sometimes.

Serena sighed as another teacher now practically fainted into the room having been winked at by Gary and asked Serena if the rumors circulating amongst the students of her and Gary's broken engagement were true.

Serena crumpled up a sheet of paper.

Definitely rat poison.

~*~

Duplica stared, unsure of what to do in such a situation. She tried to remember what was done when Ritchie had fainted after Melody accepted his marriage proposal. But she couldn't recall the exact moment because it had been during her and Todd's wedding and there was so much gaiety going on.

She was positive that Todd didn't need CPR at least. He hadn't fainted due to a medical or health-related cause.

Unless you counted mental shock as medical.

She looked down towards the floor again where her husband lay spread-eagle, his jacket half-draped on his chest, the hanger off to the side. Had it really been that much of a shock to expect her to be pregnant after being married for two years? Duplica wondered as she went to the hallway bathroom and filled the cup with some cold water. Carrying the water back out, she debated whether to really try this method of revival.

Would it actually work? She'd only ever seen this in the movies. Maybe she should call Ritchie and ask him since he not only had experience fainting, but he was a doctor. But then, she'd have to tell Ritchie why Todd had fainted and while the news of a coming baby was happy, Duplica did not want anyone else to find out yet.

Especially with the father of the baby was still passed out from hearing the news himself.

She contemplated how to tell him that she wasn't just a few weeks pregnant, but in fact, two months. Hopefully Todd wouldn't faint again from that news. During her first missed cycle, she hadn't thought much of it, especially being so busy with the grand opening of her modeling school. But this second time around when her little red friend didn't visit, Duplica began to have her suspicions and a quick visit to the doctor confirmed all.

She had been carrying a baby around. For two months.

Duplica knew that perhaps it was a little more than stupid of her to not have realized it earlier, what with all the symptoms of upset stomach, morning nausea, and the likes. But with the crazy popular start of her school and busy schedule she had had to get things up and running, the soon-to-be-mother had simply brushed aside her own health for the sake of her job.

But now, things would have to change. It wasn't just her own health she had to worry about. Duplica looked down and laid a hand on her abdomen tentatively. She had to worry about the health of another being who had yet to form any distinguishable humanoid features while inside her very body.

What a terrifying yet exciting thought.

There was a somebody who was half her and half Todd growing slowly inside of her. She only hoped that Todd's genetic contribution didn't include fainting.

Speaking of Todd, the young woman glanced down at her husband to see if he was stirring but curiosity finally won over. She had always wanted to try this.

Slowly, she tipped the cup of water over Todd's face.

"Whaaa!?"

Todd shot up, sputtering and shaking his head, water droplets flying everywhere.

Amazing, Duplica thought. It does work!

She stood waiting for Todd to regain composure. Finally, he looked up at her, wide-eyed, eyelashes spiky from the water that dripped down his forehead.

"And you guys made fun of poor Ritchie when he fainted."

"A baby? Really Duplica? A baby? A real baby?"

Duplica knelt down, putting the now empty cup on the floor beside her with a nod and gentle smile. "A baby Todd. We are having a baby. You're going to be a father."

"A father? Ohmygosh…a father? I'm going to be a – a –"

"Oh no. No. Todd…Todd don't faint a–"

THUD.

Sigh.

"Again."

Duplica sat back wearily. If this is how Todd reacted to the just the news of the pregnancy, she wasn't too eager to witness his reaction when Little Bob or Sue entered the world seven months down the road.

~*~

Addressed, stamped, and sealed!

Phew.

Misty tossed the last envelope containing the wedding invitation onto the pile in the corner before stretching out her legs and laying back on the carpeted floor of her apartment. She turned her head towards Ash who was furiously beating a stamp onto an envelope.

"Hey Ash?"

"Yeah Mist?" he responded, now running a damp sponge along the envelope flap.

"I won."

"What!?"

He looked up and his mouth fell open as he took in the mountain of envelopes beside Misty. Then he gazed at his own, much smaller pile and groaned in defeat. "No way! You cheated! You definitely gave me more to do."

"Ash. Even if I did give you more, my pile is still way bigger than yours. You haven't even finished half," Misty pointed out, eyeing his stacks of envelopes still unaddressed.

"Oh. True."

Misty sat up. "So this means you have to get your tux fitted tomorrow instead of next month!"

"No fair!"

"Hey, a deal's a deal. Now finish up your stack. You do want your Great Aunty Erma to get an invite, don't you? And before she turns ninety."

"Yeah, yeah," Ash muttered, returning to the task at hand. Misty giggled, leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek and before he could pull her closer, she slipped away into the kitchen to start dinner.

The day had been pretty productive. They had picked out not only the centerpieces, but they had also driven around to various restaurants to gather pricing information for the rehearsal dinner. After a casual lunch, Misty dragged a protesting Ash to bridal shops to check out their dress selections. When it was clear after entering the fifth dress store that Ash's brain cells were fried, Misty agreed to meet him back at her apartment, saying that she still needed to pick up a few things for home.

Ash had only too happily complied, eager to lounge around since he finally had a bit of freedom after closing a recent deal with a major investor of Oak Tech. When Misty returned to find her fiancé watching basketball instead of having the sense to continue addressing and stamping invitations they had started the night before, she made the bet which he had just lost.

As Misty pulled out the necessary ingredients to cook, she wondered not for the first time if she was expecting too much from her fiancé. From conversations with her friends, she knew that Duplica had actually preferred Todd not interfere with plans, only letting him hire the photographer from their own company who would do their album. And Melody had simply hired a top-rate coordinator to help with hers because she had been busy with her musical tour right until the week before her wedding. Melody definitely hadn't expected Ritchie to do much beyond getting his tux fitted and actually showing up the the required events.

Misty began washing meat she had left out to defrost and glanced up at Ash over her counter. Now that he had lost the little bet, it no longer seemed as important to finish addressing the rest of his invitations as it had just an hour ago. Instead, he had flicked on the television and was watching some action movie, flipping an envelope idly between two fingers.

With a sigh, Misty realized that perhaps it really was too much to expect.

But why shouldn't a bride want her groom to do his share of the work? Why should it all fall on the girl? Misty thought, frustration now seeping in as she began to marinate the steak pieces.

What was this? The dark ages where the woman does all the work while the man sits around and makes the demands? She was even making his dinner for him even after he hadn't really full-filled his part of the deal since he came home early.

He should be helping! Misty thought, tightly squeezing the neck of the steak sauce as she poured liberal amounts into the bowl.

That's it. He's going to hear something, Misty told herself. If this was how the rest of the seven months of preparation was going to go, then she needed to set down some guidelines.

The now irate woman quickly washed her hands and was drying them when she heard a faint vibration. She leaned over to grab her purse that rested on the counter and pulled out her cell phone. Hm. It was a number she didn't recognize but had the Cerulean area code.

"Hello?"

A faint crackle of static was heard before a female voice answered, "Um. Hello. Am I speaking to Misty Waterflower?"

"You are. May I ask whom I am speaking to?"

"Oh hello Ms. Waterflower! My name is Dawn. I hope you don't find me too presumptuous but I would like to request myself to be your wedding coordinator."

*****Author's Note*****

Hope you liked it and don't forget to review!!!

An important note: I will now be updating ONCE A WEEK. I know, this is a change from MTM which was about 2-3 times per week. But I now have two part-time jobs plus applying for graduate school (which means I must also study for GREs).

Therefore, I must regretfully reduce the updates. However, I plan on keeping it consistent. At the moment, I will update on TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY. Check my profile for any changes if I fail to post accordingly.

Take care and see you next week!

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Preview of Chapter 3:**

Ritchie Kirk finished listening to his voice mail from his wife with a sigh. Well, there went his plans for taking her out tonight for their two-month anniversary. Was it really only two months? Ritchie wondered as he stared down at the cell phone clutched in his hand.

**Review Responses:**

_merise_: Glad you're super excited!!! Ah I haven't watched that episode of What I Like About You. I'll have to see if I can find it online. :) Ah yes…27 Dresses. Ultimate Themed Weddings. Lol.

_keyblader1991_: Ah thank you for the offer for which I shall certainly take you up on if I'm stumped or bored. Which will probably be next week as this week I am quite busy. ^_^ Much appreciated!

_poka_: Aw thanks! Hope you liked this chapter!

_CarpeDiemEveryday_: Glad you didn't think it was slow! Phew…Yup our little model's preggo! I will be using friends' experiences to write her journey. Heh…Lol. A Star Wars themed wedding would make for an awesome photo! I loved themed parties!! Problem is, no one does em anymore…at least, not the people I know.

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: Hehe. Good thing you didn't scream loudly when this came out. Once I laughed super loud to a fic I was reading and my mom woke up and got mad that I was still up. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_RaveOn_: Lol. I've always wanted to write a man being dense with a baby on the way and Todd was the perfect subject! Hehe.

_Guibin_: Hehe. It's a mystery. :P Hope you liked this chapter!

_Toph the Trickster_: First of all, I truly appreciated your detailed review! So thank you so much! You are so very right, nothing ends so happily. I mean, you never get to see what happens to Snow White or Cinderella AFTER they go off with the prince (well now there's a Cinderella 2 & 3 but you know what I mean…haha). Conflict is life. It's all about how you deal with it that exemplifies who you are. Glad you liked Gary and Duplica's scenes! ^_^ Tried to keep the humorous. Anyways, I appreciate any reviews you are able to give, whether it is per chapter or after a few chapters. Thanks again!

_BowlingStar08_: Hmm good idea. I'll have to see if a friend of mine would be up to sketching it. ^_^ LOL Gary and player just go together don't they? Since you're vying for Gary/Serena, I hope you liked their interaction in this chapter!

_Rogue Ninja_: Lol. You sir, are a much more mature 17 yr old than Ash at 28 then. ^_^ Unfortunately, I have seen men act like they've lost 14 years. Sometimes though. I'll give em credit that it's not all the time. Hehe. Anyways, you would be correct about Dawn as you can see! ^_^ Nice. You'll have to wait and see about May.

_Pikagurl23_: Ah thank you! Glad that you liked the first chapter and hopefully you liked this one too! ^_^

_Snowlight-chan_: Haha Ash is not good with anything that requires organization except his own job. Lol. As for Maura answering Prof. Oak's prayers…only time will tell. Hehe.

_Ronmione x3_: And you're back! Heh. Glad you liked the first chapter and hopefully you liked this one too! ^^

_PrincesSTiger_: Thanks! Yeah I suppose I did exaggerate Ash a bit but it's Ash and he's the only one you can make be so childish and still love him! Hehe…Lol. Good thing your mom didn't hear you laughing. When my mom hears me laughing to myself she thinks I'm wasting time and calls me to do chores. As you can see, Serena's mad an appearance in this chapter. Now we've only got Ritchie and Melody left to come soon!

_Random-Leafy-Spirit_: Nice to hear from you too!...I try to update fast but as you can see from the A/N I shall have to limit updates this time due to life (as I am no longer a bum at home like I was this summer). Nice catching the 'Iv.' You're the only one. ^_~ You shall see. It's all in my grand masterplan muahahaha! Lol.

_Teva Faye_: I am definitely opposite to you and Serena when it comes to caffeine. I try to stay away from it so I don't become addicted but this way, the times that I DO actually have it, I am WIRED. Haha. Hope you liked this chapter!

_AzureKite4_: Thank you! Glad you liked the first chapter! Hehe is that your spidey sense tingling which tells you Gary and Serena might hook up? ^_~ You shall see friend, you shall see. Hehe.

_Black-Sakura27_: I wanna know what exactly you're guessing! Lol. I guess you'll tell me as each chapter comes out huh? ^_^ Were your guesses right for this chapter?

_GreenGoblin15_: Glad to see you back! I hope you liked this chapter!

_Athletic nerd_: Welcome new member! ^_^ Ah so you were one of my ghost readers huh? Hehe. Thanks for reading MTM and glad to hear you liked it! And glad to see you in the review section for this story! Hope you enjoy it just as much! Btw, I have to say, I like your alias. 'Athletic nerd.' It's awesome! Also, I didn't bring in Gary's older sister as she exists only in the manga. I had thought about it but decided to leave her out because then she would've been the heir to Oak Tech. Also, let me know when you post a story and I shall surely check it out.

_bluejay511_: Haha. Ash growing up is a tricky one! Lol. You'll have to wait and see. Glad to see you back!


	3. Happy Frenzy

*****Author's Note*****

OMG thank you all SO MUCH for 51 reviews in only 2 chapters!!! You all ROCK! Also, just to remind you all, while this is an Ash/Misty story, there are several other characters whose stories will eventually tie in with the main plotline. So please be patient if some chapters do not have a heavy dose of AAML or any AAML at all. As a writer, I add on the layers slowly one by one, instead of dumping it all on at once, similar to how I did in _Misty the Matchmaker_.

Lastly, many of you commented, "Dawn?? I thought this was old school!" Haha weeeelll...I sort of ran out of old school characters that I wanted to bring in soooo I decided to bring in a lil new school flavor since a few of you had asked previously for certain appearances. Hopefully I do these characters justice. Don't worry, old school will still prevail!

**Disclaimer**: The usual.

**I Do or I Don't?**

Chapter 3: Happy Frenzy

"Hey sweetie! Sorry I missed you. You were probably welcoming new babies into the world so I guess I'll have to catch you later. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be home till tomorrow so don't wait up for me. I have a sudden meeting with my producer. I'm sorry. I really wanted to see you tonight but we'll definitely have dinner together tomorrow! Bye. Love you!"

Ritchie Kirk finished listening to the voice mail from his wife with a sigh. Well, there went his plans for taking her out tonight for their two-month anniversary. Was it really only two months? Ritchie wondered as he stared down at the cell phone clutched in his hand.

On days like this, he sometimes felt it had already been two years. He had expected the first year of marriage to go by slowly, with him and Melody basking in one another's company and simply marveling at the new life they'd build together.

But no, he was a second year resident at Cerulean City Hospital and his wife was an international singing sensation hot in demand. Combine both hectic schedules and the amount of time left for marveling and lazing around together was practically zip. In fact, the last time they had really been together and relaxed was during the honeymoon.

Ritchie sighed and checked his watch. His shift was almost over and he hadn't even eaten all day! Since he had been assigned to OBG-YN unit this round, otherwise known as "Diaper Duty" amongst the physicians, he'd had to rush into the delivery room at any given moment. His pager had gone off several times today and Dr. Kirk had quickly learned that babies really did not wait.

With another tired sigh, he flipped his phone back open and hit speed dial 1. After a few rings, he got the voice mailbox.

"Hey Melody! I just got your message. I'm sad you won't be coming home tonight but I hope the meeting goes well! Unfortunately we're going to have to postpone our two-month dinner until Monday. I'm on-call this weekend and I have to stay in the ward. I guess call me back and we'll see if maybe we can grab lunch when you're back. Love you too."

Buzzz. Buzzz.

Ritchie looked down at his belt where his pager was attached and vibrating. He flipped his phone shut and stood up. Alright little baby. I'm coming. I'm coming.

~*~

Misty held her cell phone against her ear with one hand while with the other she resumed her cooking chore. The young woman at the other end of the line spoke quickly and slightly nervously as she introduced herself as Dawn and went on to say that she read about Misty and Ash's engagement in the _Cerulean Sun_ magazine.

"I know I sound a bit like a stalker," Dawn went on and Misty silently agreed. "But I've been taught that when you see an opportunity to rise to the top, seize it."

Misty slid the baking pan of marinated steaks into the top rack of her oven. "So, my wedding is an opportunity for you?"

"You see, I've only done small-scale weddings so far but my dream has always been to become a top-rate wedding coordinator that even celebrities would fight for. And at the moment, you're the closest to a celebrity that I can get."

"I see."

"No I didn't mean it like that! That is…I mean…" Dawn faltered which made Misty chuckle.

"It's fine. I understand what you mean and can understand that feeling of wanting to climb to the top of your profession," Misty replied, turning to the freezer and pulling out a packet of frozen shrimp. "But, how did you get my number?"

"Oh. Well, I called your aquarium and talked to one of your sisters who gave it to me as soon as I said I was a wedding coordinator. She seemed really happy that you were finally getting help."

Lily or Violet no doubt. Daisy would never be so quick as to hand out her number to a stranger. Dawn began to list her credentials while Misty only half-listened, wondering whether to give this wedding planner a chance. She _had _been starting to feel slightly overwhelmed with all of the details, especially with the recent realization that Ash was being no help whatsoever.

Maybe it was a good thing that this Dawn person had called.

"Dawn?" Misty interrupted the woman as she began to rattle off the weddings she had done.

"Yes Ms. Waterflower?"

"I'm guessing you live in Cerulean City since you said you read the _Cerulean Sun_?"

"For now, yes."

"Are you free tomorrow to meet after breakfast?"

"Really? You mean you're going to hire me?"

Misty grinned at the excited tone. "I can't make that decision now just based off a phone conversation so I'd like to interview you tomorrow. I appreciate you taking the initiative to contact me and I will be honest, I had just begun thinking about hiring someone to help me. You may be the one."

"Oh wow. Thank you!" Dawn replied.

The two women talked for a few more minutes, exchanging information and agreeing to meet at Misty's family aquarium the next morning. Dawn profusely thanked Misty once more for even giving her a small chance before hanging up.

Misty couldn't help but smile as she placed her phone back on the counter. From what she could hear in Dawn's voice, the other woman sounded young, energetic, sincere, and hard-working. It was just what Misty needed and if Dawn worked out, then perhaps Misty wouldn't have to feel so aggravated with her lazy and clueless fiancé who was now making his way into the kitchen.

Ash walked behind Misty and peered over her shoulder as she poured a box of fettuccini pasta into a pot of boiling water. She remained silent as she twisted the stove knob to lower the heat. Ash rested his chin on the top of her head and played with the ends of her hair.

"Who was that on the phone Mist?"

"My other fiancé."

"I see. What did he want?"

"_He _actually wants to help with the wedding."

Ash stepped away as Misty turned to face him. He grinned down sheepishly at her. "I guess I haven't been the best groom so far, huh?"

Misty shrugged.

He bit his lip then shot her a grin. Before Misty could say another word, Ash snatched up the wooden spoon that sat on the counter by the stove then turned Misty and shoved her out of the kitchen and into hallway.

"Ash?"

"I'll cook for you!"

Misty raised an eyebrow. "You don't know how to cook."

"I know how to cook well enough," Ash replied as he opened the pantry and unhooked Misty's pink apron that hung on the back of the door. He pulled it over his head then quickly tied the strings around his waist.

"Misty the Matchmaker," he read the words splashed over the front of the apron. "This brings back memories."

Misty crossed her arms. "Don't try to be cute Ketchum."

"Just reminiscent of how we reconnected all thanks to your matchmaking service."

"Suck up. And you do realize that if you had come clean about being Ash Ketchum from the beginning, we all could have been spared two weeks' worth of stress?"

"Ah but then things would have turned out very different."

"Do tell," Misty replied dryly as she went to the opposite side of the kitchen counter and sat on a stool.

Ash stirred the pasta a bit then began to make his way around the kitchen, pulling out spices and various other ingredients.

He began to chop some vegetables as he said, "Well think about it. If I had come in that first day and said, 'Hey I'm Ash. Remember me?' then you and I might've only remained friends. On top of that, Melody might have been set up with someone else who wouldn't break up with her. Which would mean that she would never have run away crying and then Ritchie wouldn't kiss her which would mean Todd wouldn't see it and realize he loved Duplica! Which would mean that Ritchie and Melody and Todd and Duplica would never have gotten together. Furthermore, if you and I had been friends or let's say if we started to date right at the beginning, you would never have gone on that date with Rudy and then Serena and Gary wouldn't have had _their_ date so that they could eventually be the friends they are today and possibly even hook up later on like we think."

Ash set aside the veggies then dumped several handfuls of shrimp into a small bowl of water. "Therefore, I conclude that due to Alvin Ketter's existence, a chain of events occurred which resulted in the bonding of several people which otherwise wouldn't have happened if I had 'come clean' from the beginning."

Misty watched as Ash now dusted off his hands smartly then smirked at her. "I rest my case."

They gazed at one another across the counter, Misty trying desperately not to laugh but the sparkle in Ash's eyes and the way he purposefully made his right eyebrow go up and down was too much to handle. The woman burst out in laughter.

"Ash! I can't believe you are taking credit for everyone hooking up!" she said after a few moments of mirth. "I have such an egotistical fiancé."

"Takes one to know one."

"I hate you."

Ash winked then made kissy faces towards her. "Love you too soon-to-be Mrs. Ash Ketchum."

As Ash began chopping an onion, muttering how he hated the stupid thing for making him teary, Misty mulled over the name "Mrs. Ash Ketchum." Hmm…it did have a nice ring to it, didn't it? She ignored Ash when he asked why she was smiling like that and simply went into her bedroom to get changed for dinner.

~*~

Duplica held an icepack to the back of Todd's head as she settled beside him on the couch. The man was _finally _conscious. After he had opened his eyes a second time, instead of trying to break the news to him yet again, she made him move to the living room and sit down while she nursed the small bump he now sported.

Todd gently lifted Duplica's free hand with both of his own larger ones and looked into her eyes. She bit her lip.

"Duplica?"

"Yes Todd?"

"I'm…I'm going to be a fa – fa – father?"

Duplica raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to faint again?" she asked cautiously.

Todd grinned in embarrassment and shook his head. "No. No more fainting."

At least, not until Baby arrived, Duplica thought, not putting it past her husband to not pass out on the day their child entered the world. But she didn't say this and instead replied with one word. "Yes."

Duplica held her breath, half-expecting Todd to starting tilting backwards again but instead he held his gaze steady with hers.

Then, without warning, he scooped Duplica into his arms, leapt up and began spinning around the room in a happy frenzy. The ice pack went flying, hitting the wall and sliding down to the floor.

"I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER! A FATHER! WHOOOO!" he shouted still twirling while Duplica wrapped her arms around his neck and began to laugh.

"DADDY SNAP! THAT'S MEEEE! OH THANK YOU DUPLICA!"

"Tooooodd!" Duplica cried out after a few moments. "I'm getting dizzy!"

Todd carefully put Duplica onto the couch, her hair falling into her face. He leaned down and gently pushed the strands back to reveal shining eyes. "We're going to be parents," he said softly.

Duplica slowly nodded, tearing up as she realized that this moment, in which the two shared this revelation that they would become parents, would never come again. Sure, she hoped to have more children and would be happy to learn of their coming but it was the first one that you started off with which transformed you from being just a married couple to being parents. And this feeling would come only once.

Todd sat down and pulled his wife onto his lap. He gently ran a thumb along her jaw-line and she smiled through her tears that were trickling down her rosy cheeks. "Parents," she said in a whisper. "Us. Our baby."

She let out a choked laugh amidst the joyful crying and it was all the signal Todd needed to pull her towards him in a heated kiss of happiness.

*****Author's Note*****

Before any one says it, I'll say it first, yes, this one was a bit shorter than usual. Again, it's all about pacing and layering. ^_^ In any case, hope you enjoyed it. Todd is finally conscious, Ash is growing a conscience, and Ritchie is just sad (because yes, I am back to torturing him again! Muahaha).

Also, I must apologize as there is no preview this time, only a small summary. Last week was pretty busy (I started job training yay + family stuff) and I hadn't much time to write. But never fear, as I shall see you next Tues/Wed! I've made a promise to you all to remain consistent (but I may throw in surprise chapters out of the regular schedule every once in a while if I get the chance!) Please don't forget to review!

Much love,

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

P.S. Random note here…anyone remember the show _Young Hercules_??? Or am I just too old? Just wondering cause I've re-discovered it and am totally loving young Ryan Gosling. ^_^

**Short Summary of Chapter 4**:

Our loving engaged couple meet the bubbly Dawn, Serena is upset with Gary, and Melody just wants to spend time with her hubby.

**Review Responses**

_PrincesSTiger_: Haha yeah I remember in HS we were always tryna find out what was going on with our teachers. Hopefully next time a person happens to faint, it's near you so that you can try the water thing. I've never tried it either but I'm in the same boat as you with that one. Heh yup Ash and Misty sound like a married couple yet they don't even realize it! I hope you liked Ritchie's part though short. He'll be coming around more later. And I didn't forget about Lance. I have a good place for him but it won't be till a few months (and by that I mean months in the story, not in real time – I hope) down the road.

_poka_: Hehe you'll have to wait and see if Dawn is there to steal Ash away or not. She shall appear in person in the next chapter! Glad you liked the S/G scene!

_Black-Sakura27_: Ah I'm still curious to know what your guesses were/are! If you get a chance, do PM me. ^_^ As for Dawn, oooh I have plans for her. Something that is obvious on the surface later on but then, something that no one will be able to guess in terms of why she's there. If that makes any sense…haha.

_Teva Faye_: Dawn could be good and bad. I'll let you decide as we see more of her. Muahaha. Glad you liked the Gary and Serena bit.

_An-nonymous_: Hehe I'm updating! ^^ You'll see what "problems" Dawn brings.

_Toph the Trickster_: Have I mentioned that I love your detailed reviews??? Well, I do. It makes me happy to hear that you read my story with your morning coffee! ^_^ I'm sure your wedding will not have any Ash-like traces. Hehe. As for Dawn, I do have plans for her as you'll see later on down the road. I got surprises in store for you readers. Lol. Well Todd is finally not unconscious! I've always wanted to write a fainting daddy scene so I figured, why not do it twice? A third time might've been pushing it though. With Gary and Serena, I have plans in store for them too so you'll see if they become a couple or not later. First Gary needs to stop being a player though since Serena would never go for that. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_merise_: I hope you achieve your goals with my story! But I feel ya with the obsessive email checking. I obsessively check my email for wonderful reviews like yours. ^^ You're so right about evites for everything! I got a wedding invite once via Facebook. And I agree that snail-mail is way more personal. I love saving all the wedding invites I got for my friend's weddings. It's fun to receive! Aww your 'joy of unwrapping' tradition sounds so cute!!! It does sound like a G/S deal. Hope it continues as does your friendship (or could it turn to love?? *wink*)

_BowlingStar08_: Hehe. Yeah I hadn't planned on bringing in Dawn but then, like I said in the first A/N, I ran out of good solid characters I could use. I would've used Giselle only I had already mentioned her in Chp1 of MTM. Glad you liked the Gary/Serena scene. It was fun to write! And no, sadly I have not tried the dumping water on a fainted person though by all means, I am just waiting for someone to pass out near me so I can try it. Ah now that I think of it, a friend of mine did faint once but no one dumped water on his head. They called 911 and he was taken to the hospital so in those situations, probably not best to try the water thing. Heh.

_keyblader1991_: Oh you know the bachelor and bachelorette parties will definitely be epic! Muahaha! I'm just itching to write them as I have it planned out how it will go so very wrong and so very right. Hehe. I liked your description of your schedule as being like a popped balloon. I've never heard that one. ^^ I've had schedules like that some semesters which are nice because you get a lot of free time in between like you said. I used to use my free time sleeping or exploring downtown. ^_^

_AzureKite4_: At last Todd has not fainted! And yup, Gary spends time at Serena's. Suspicious ain't it? As for May, Drew, Paul, and Kenny, you shall have to wait and see my friend. ^_~ I hope I can continue the humor!

_licoricejellybean_: Haha wow! I'm glad you liked the last chapter THAT much. ^_^ Since you like Mr. Oak so much, you'll definitely enjoy future chapters I have planned which will definitely feature our favorite playboy. And that's awesome that you like Gary/Serena so much! I have plans for them. Muhaha. Hehe well, you won't want to kill Dawn off just yet. Because if you do, then there goes most of my story. Lol.

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: You'll see if May comes in. ^_^ But I do like your predictions. It'll take several chapters though before you see if you're right or not as I have a lot in store for our characters….I know, once a week is short but alas, I can't sit around the house being a bum any longer and must work and try to go back to school. I haven't read those fics you mentioned but I'll definitely check them out! Hope you liked this chapter! P.S. Every time I see your author alias, I want to bake cookies with strawberries...

_DAML-AAMLLover06_: I'm glad you liked MTM and this one so far! Thanks for coming aboard for the reviews! ^^ As for whether Dawn will in a shipping or not, haven't decided that one yet. I may, I may. I'm not too familiar with the later seasons of pokemon so I'm hesitant to include too much of what I don't know. But we'll see.

_Rogue Ninja_: Hehe yup Misty portrayed the typical female last chapter with the whole switching gears from Aww poor Ash to No way poor me! Like I mentioned in the A/N, this will be about Ash and Misty of course but I'm building up with other characters too as you'll see how they all play a part together later on. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!

_pikagurl23_: You shall definitely see if Dawn is one of the women who cause strife in Ash and Misty's life. ^_^ Ah you give me too much credit in terms of studying. Haha. At least you've signed up for yours. I haven't signed up nor started studying. I have only PLANNED to study. Lol. I'll probably take mine in Nov so I have a solid month-ish to study. GOOD LUCK ON YOURS!!! Let me know how it goes!!!

_Guibin_: Lol. Like I said in the A/N I sorta ran out of old school characters I could properly use. You'll see later on whether May appears or not. ^_~ Ah and yes, themed weddings do exist though I have yet to attend one. Have you watched 27 Dresses? They show some ridiculous themed weddings (Vegas style, Western style, Scuba-diving, Men dress like women, and women dress like men….the list goes on and yes I have watched this movie that much to remember these details)

_Ronmione x3_: Hehe you'll see whether May and Drew enter the scene. ^_~

_bluejay511_: Sorry to hear school's a bummer. I sort of miss it…but then I remember tests and I think, working is not so bad. Haha. You know Gary, he's a player and if he's got a date, he'll lock anyone out of their own house!

_Random-Leafy-Spirit:_ Ah I love details too! They make a story good. Yup now that fall is here, everyone's getting busy but this way, if I update once a week, everyone has a week to catch it and not get left behind. ^_^ I had to look up Oldrivalshipping as I didn't know what it is. Sounds cute! Haha well Todd's being a good boy now but he may be a little hard to handle later on down the road. Ah sorry that Dawn scares you. I shall try to make her non-scary! Hehe.

_ShadowMario45_: Haha you know how Gary just loves attention no matter where he is! ^^ I will probably have Brock and Joy come in as they are the most experienced married couple so far. Heh. Hope you liked this chapter!

_Takeshi Jecht_: Lol. Yeah Serena and Gary do act like a couple yet they're not because Gary's still a player and Serena is just Serena hating the player nature. More to come with them!

_PikaPower_: Hello! Glad to hear that you liked MTM and love anything Kanto! I'll probably bring in some more references to that later on down the road. Yeah I was thinking that I sort of miss the Pokemon element too (mainly I miss Pikachu as he's my favorite) but then it would've been a totally different story. ^_^ Hope you liked this chapter!

_Scorchtail_: Yup. It's Dawn! I gots plans for her! Glad you liked the Duplica/Todd from last chapter! Hope you liked them in this one too!

_shut up and read or go away_: Hahaha. I think sometimes girls in general expect too much from guys (or at least that's been my experience). And yup, this is new Dawn. No old school Dawn. If you read the first A/N in this chapter, you'll understand why she's here...And don't worry, no details of baby making here. :P Though I did take several advanced bio courses in undergrad so I do know the nitty gritty side of it. Haha.

_Death's Serenade_: Always glad to see you back! ^_^ Haha I won't kill you for reading other fanfic genres, especially when you always manage to make a return here. If you disappear tho….J/K. I like browsing other fics too. ^_^ Serena's being swayed by sweetness is definitely typical female-ness curse. We can't help but fall for the sweetness in a badboy/tough guy (tho in the end it sucks!!!)….Haha I have always wanted to write a fainting to-be-father so here it was with Todd! I had fun with that. LOL yup Dawn! Good job on the guess. Heh. As for May, you shall simply have to wait and see friend. And don't worry, I definitely will NOT turn into the update-once-a-year author. I have my story plotted out but it's just a matter of writing. Unfortunately this time, I haven't been able to write several chapters in advance but the plotting is really detailed so that all I need to do is sit, write, and edit several times sometime throughout the week.

_GreenGoblin15_: Thank you! Glad you liked the Gary and Serena part! That seems to be a favorite!

_Steveaaml_: Glad you liked the Gary and Serena scene! ^_^ I had a lot of fun writing it because I could just picture Gary being all smarmy in my head. Lol. And yes…dun dun dun wedding planner! Not much conflict yet but as you well know by now, I like to build it up. Muahaha. Hope you liked this chapter!

_CarpeDiemEveryday_: Glad you still like Serena as your heroine! And yes, she does have sucky luck with love. Hopefully that changes for her at some point. Ahahahaha a fainting immunity!!! Lol. Yes hopefully Todd develops that if not for his sake, at least for Duplica's. I can picture Todd passing out at a game because his daughter (not that I'm saying their baby is gonna be a girl) is holding hands with a guy and Duplica just leaves him there…You are absolutely correct in that I stopped watching after Misty's era but I've made sure to do research on Dawn so that I can portray her properly (and if you read the A/N at the beginning, you'll see why I chose her)….Yup our characters have matured as they are in their late-twenties nearing thirties (for some!). Hehe. But they will definitely have immature moments too as we all do no matter what age. Muahaha. Thanks for your thoughts and I look forward to more!


	4. Dawn the Wedding Coordinator

*****Author's Note*****

I AM SO RIDICULOUSLY INCREDIBLY GENUINELY SORRY!!!!! I realized that once you take a break, it's a bit difficult to get back in the original gung-ho flow, especially after everything that's happened over the past few months.

_Please read my profile for further details as to precisely why this chapter has been so delayed._ If you're not interested in that long spiel, then long story short is that life got in the way along with computer glitches but now I'm back. Really. And I will update timely once more.

Lastly, THANK YOU! I want to thank you for 101 reviews for three chapters and hope that I have not lost any readers in the hiatus! I really appreciate all your continued support as reading your reviews really has helped me and encouraged me in more ways than you can imagine so thank you.

Now, I don't want to get any more soppy and sappy with you so onward with our story and I hope you enjoy! Welcome back to us all!

**Disclaimer**: The usual

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 4: Dawn the Wedding Coordinator

Serena groaned as she groggily reached over to flick the switch on her clock and turn off the annoying beeping alarm that went off Saturday morning. But for some reason, her hand couldn't find the alarm clock. In fact, the arm that was stretched out seemed to be draped over a lump. With eyes still shut, she used her hand to attempt to identify the lump.

A pillow perhaps? But why was it so hard? And since when did pillows seem to move up and down, as though breathing? And pillows weren't supposed to have what felt like…hair?

Immediately Serena drew her arm back as her eyes flew open. She found herself staring at Gary Oak's sleeping face. She blinked rapidly then shut her eyes, counted to three silently then reopened them.

Gary was still there.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Wha – wha-!?"

Serena quickly sat up and pulled the covers up around her as Gary, in his confused state, rolled off the bed. A dull thud sounded, followed by an angry groan before a mess of dark brown hair surfaced at the edge of the bed.

"What was that for Little Maria!?"

"What the hell are you doing in my bed you jerk!?"

Gary rubbed the back of his head, wincing slightly. "You sound like you've never found a guy in your bed before."

Serena gritted her teeth and looked to the side. "That's because…I haven't."

"What? You mean…you really are an innocent little nun?" Gary asked incredulously. He hoisted himself back on the bed and reclaimed his spot atop the covers, only this time he propped the pillows against the headboard and leaned back. "You serious? I always assumed that you'd at least…you know. I mean, you've dated before."

The young woman glared and held the covers around herself tighter. "You make it sound like it's such a bad thing."

"Well you are twenty-six."

"So?" Serena looked up defiantly. "I'm not like you who'll take anything on two legs. We made a pact, Misty, Duplica, and I, back in high school that we'd wait until we were married to the right one even if it took us until we were forty."

Gary let out a low whistle and shook his head. "There are still people like you?"

"If by that you mean ones who prefer to remain chaste, then yes. There are many of us. But I fail to see how the way I conduct my personal affairs connects with why you are in my bed!"

Gary shrugged then turned to pluck Serena's nighttime reading book off the side table. He flipped it open, scanning the pages, failing to see the glare the young woman beside him was sending. Or maybe he was just ignoring her purposefully.

It took all Serena's self-restraint not to kick him in the face. "Get off my bed."

Gary replaced the book to where it was. He slid off the bed much to Serena's surprise and delight. But instead of leaving the room, he lifted the covers and hopped underneath. "You have no idea how chilly your room gets at night. But for your sake, I stayed on top of the covers."

"I see."

Seconds passed as Gary settled into the bed and Serena sat backed up against the wall with half of the covers still drawn around her like a shield. She could feel Gary's elbow brushing against her foot.

Perfect.

"Ow! What is wrong with you, you violent woman?" Gary yelled as Serena dug her heels into his side.

"What is wrong is that you're in my bed and you haven't even told me why you're here!" she yelled back, punctuating some of the words with small kicks. _And because you asked me to make chocolate mousse for you and you never showed up you jerk!_ the back of her mind shouted but she'd rather slit her own throat before she ever said that aloud or admitted to even thinking it.

Gary sat up and quickly grabbed her ankles.

Serena's eyes went wide and she stilled. "Oh no."

"Oh yes."

"I'm sorry Gary. Please don't – ahahaha! Stop! Ahahahaha! Stop sorry sorry! I won't kick – hahahahahaha!"

After a few moments, Serena regained custody of her own feet. She ran a hand through her hair, smoothing away some tangles then asked, "So…why are you here?"

"You never let things go, do you?"

"You should know the answer to that one."

Serena watched as a look of contemplation overtook Gary's face before he turned to look at her. He shrugged. "I was going to come back here anyway right? I just ended up being out a little later then I thought that's all."

"Oh." Then, "But why didn't you go sleep on the couch? And where did you put my key? And…now that I think about it, do you smell like…fish?"

"I was tired and your bed looked much more comfortable, your key is safely hanging by the door, and yes, I smell like fish."

"Uh huh. And why? Did you and your _date _go night fishing or something?"

Serena watched as Gary ran a hand through his hair and shrugged again. She waited. She could tell something was bothering him. His teasing behavior lacked the usual zeal and his face flashed momentary lapses of seriousness usually absent. And Gary being the male that he was, refused to ever spill the secrets of even the slightest inner turmoil he might be suffering. It usually took a good amount of poking and prodding on the young teacher's part to get him to tell her anything. But right now, she was too exhausted from her morning surprise to figure him out. She would be satisfied with waiting to see what he offered.

"I went to visit Star."

Star? The only Star Serena knew was…

"Misty's dolphin?"

Gary nodded. "The one and only. I felt like swimming with some dolphins so Sparky let me in," he said, referring to Misty's eldest brother-in-law.

Hm. Something was definitely wrong. Serena chose her next words carefully. "So um…why did you go swimming with Star? At night? Was it…part of your date?"

"Nope."

"I see," Serena said, even though she didn't. She wondered what to say next that might get her more than a one-worded response when Gary threw back the covers and jumped out of the bed.

"Well Little Maria. Any of that chocolate mousse left?"

"I ate it."

"All of it?"

"Yes."

"Liar." Gary put his hands on the bed and leaned forward. "Want the tickle monster to come back and attack?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Tickle monster? That's so lame. And you're what – almost thirty?"

"Well your niece loves it when Uncle Gary is the tickle monster. I thought Auntie Serena would like it too."

"Auntie Serena does not find Uncle Gary's antics amusing. Your chocolate mousse is in the fridge. Now get out of my room so I can get dressed."

Gary wiggled his eyebrows. "Does this mean you're not dressed under there?" He made a motion to pull the covers when a pillow hit him in the face. The Gary-zeal was back, Serena thought wryly, wondering what it was that made his mood lift so quickly.

"Ah coming here always makes me feel better," Gary said with a rumbling chuckle.

So he _was_ feeling bad about something. What, she'd have to figure out later though.

"Your chocolate mousse is waiting."

"I love you. You're the best non-guy friend a guy could have. I'm off to eat dessert for breakfast."

With that, Gary strode out of the room and shut the door behind him. Serena stared at her calendar that hung on the back of the door, swinging slightly from the force of the door shutting. Then she let herself slide down against the wall slowly, burying her face in her pillows and letting out a frustrated shriek.

This was _not_ how her Saturday morning was supposed to start.

~*~

Melody Kirk, or as she was known both before she was married and for her career, Melody Singer, was sitting impatiently on a luxurious leather chair, drumming her French manicured nails against the surface of the glass conference table. She had an expensive pair of sunglasses perched atop her head from where her brown locks curled around her flawless face, one slim eyebrow raised. This woman had the absolute perfect look of a frustrated, snobbish diva whose manager had forgotten to add that extra sprinkling of cinnamon in the usual latte.

But this would be a mere assumption one might make upon seeing the famous singer in such a mood as her eyes narrowed further and further while the old man across the table rattled off a list of dates and locations.

Melody was far from being snobbish or a diva.

And if she ever were to throw a typical spoiled star tantrum, it would not be over something as asinine as a mistaken drink order. No. It would be at a time like this, when all she wanted to do was go home to her hard-working and sweet husband but instead was forced to listen to the numerous tour dates her manager had booked.

One would think that with her manager also being her grandfather, he would understand the importance of family. But no, Grandfather Kei seemed to think he was the only family Melody needed to see in the coming months.

"And then finally you'll come back and do your last concert in the tour in Cerulean City."

Melody sat up a bit straighter in her chair. "And exactly when might that be?"

"August."

"AUGUST!? Are you insane?"

"Melody…" Grandfather Kei said in a warning tone and she took a deep breath, knowing she shouldn't shout at her elders. But really, August?

"Grandfather, it's only February right now."

"I know."

"Grandfather. Are you serious?"

"Of course. Why on earth would I have reason to not be serious?"

Melody let out a sigh, desperately wanting to run out of the room in frustration. But seeing as how that was not an option for the young singer who had a reputation for being cool and collected, she simply took a deep breath before saying her next words.

"Grandfather."

He looked up from straightening papers.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot be on tour for the next six months! I'm just newly married and I've barely had a chance to spend time with my husband since our honeymoon and with this schedule, there'll be even less time. You are going to have to just cut out some locations."

Melody finished by gazing at her grandfather with a determined look.

For a few seconds, Grandfather Kei didn't respond as he continued shuffling papers. Then finally he spoke.

"My dear, I understand how difficult this is for you but this is the career path you chose. Do not forget that."

"But –"

He held up a finger to silence her. "I do know that you want to spend some time at home. Which is why I have made your schedule with breaks in between if you had taken a chance to look at it properly."

Melody blushed slightly. "Oh."

The old man smiled, this time playing the role of grandfather instead of manager. He reached over and patted her hand lovingly. "Yes, 'oh.' I am not so cruel as to deprive you of your husband. But, you will need to work extra hard to make up for the days you have off. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal," Melody responded, thinking that the situation was actually turning out for the better but she had yet to actually experience the coming months and that would be the true test of her strength.

~*~

"Don't think you've gotten out of your tuxedo fittings so easily Ketchum," Misty said to her fiancé as he stuffed a large croissant into his mouth. He only grinned in response and gulped down some coffee.

Misty rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her earl grey tea then she glanced around the area. They were sitting in a café located just beyond the main entrance of the Waterflower Aquarium. Dawn was scheduled to meet them at eleven. Misty had given her instructions to give her name to someone at the information booth so that she would be admitted inside the venue without having to purchase a ticket.

With another sip of her tea, Misty's eyes flickered to her wrist and noted that the wedding coordinator was due any minute. She set her cup down and glanced around, trying to see if she could figure out which young woman amongst the many people streaming in might be Dawn. She supposed it was futile to attempt a guess. It wasn't like wedding coordinators dressed a certain way, like in a bridesmaid dress or anything.

At the thought of a woman decked out in bridal wear appearing before them, Misty chuckled to herself. It amused her to realize that such a thought was more along the lines of something Ash would come up yet here she was, the one thinking it. Ash had definitely rubbed off on her.

"So how is Serena doing?" Ash asked, distracting Misty enough for her to tear her gaze away from the customers. They had been starting to all look the same anyway after staring so long. "I haven't seen her in a few weeks even though she's only a few blocks away," Ash continued.

"Funny you should ask," Misty said, a wry grin forming on her face. She tapped the surface of her phone that lay on the table beside her teacup. "I got a text message from her this morning that said 'I hate Oak Tree.'"

"Oak…Tree?" Ash repeated slowly.

Misty nodded. "New nickname I guess for when she's mad at him."

"That's not necessarily a new nickname. He's been called that before."

"By you?"

"And others," Ash said with a grin. "So, what's the reason for her mad-at-Gary nickname?"

Misty shrugged. "I asked but she didn't respond. He must've done something to upset her."

"Doesn't he do that every week somehow?"

"Good point." Misty sighed, shaking her head and was about to bring up another point in regards to their best friends when someone called her name out.

She turned her head to see a slender woman standing a few feet away. Though she did not wear anything resembling bridal wear, she stuck out in the crowd of aquarium lovers in her fashionable, yet too-formal business attire, straight from her dark hair pinned back in a bun down to the pointed black shoes on her feet. She clutched a thick leather-cased binder to her chest and had a small purse hanging from one shoulder. The only thing that distinguished her from the forty-year old secretaries at Ash's office was the hopefulness upon her fresh young face and the streaks of blue highlights in her tightly bound hair.

Misty stood up. "Dawn?"

The young woman closed the distance between them and shook Misty's extended hand. "Ms. Waterflower. It is so nice to meet you!"

"Likewise," Misty replied then gestured to Ash. "This is Ash Ketchum, my fiancé. Ash, this is Dawn, our potential wedding coordinator."

They exchanged greetings and Dawn carefully sat down in the third unoccupied chair at their table. Misty watched as she finally let go of the binder and placed it on the table but continued to keep a hand atop it.

"I hope I did not keep you waiting," Dawn stated, looking around as though searching for a clock inside the café.

Misty shook her head. "No you're fine. We just came a little early to enjoy the morning. Listen, why don't you order something," she said, waving over a waiter.

"Oh no! I just had breakfast, thank you," Dawn responded as the waiter appeared at their side.

For a few minutes, they played out the formalities of a first meeting with Dawn insisting that she did not need a refreshment and Misty insisting that she accept the offer. Ash teasingly stated that unless Dawn ordered at least a cup of tea, then they would not even consider hiring her which led to Dawn finally accepting a small latte.

"As you already know, my family owns this place," Misty said once the waiter left with Dawn's order. "So it's no problem at all."

"I appreciate it."

"Anytime."

They spent the next few minutes learning about Dawn's credentials and Misty was thoroughly impressed by the detailed resume the young woman had pulled out from the binder which she had finally unzipped and spread open. Following the resume were charts listing locations for dress shops, caterers, bakers and more. Each venue had a column for critique ratings, price ranges, and even which celebrities had purchased from them.

"So for example, if you were interested in, say, a New York style wedding, then this place has the perfect bridesmaid dresses but if this isn't in your budget, then this store would be your second choice. And thank you," Dawn said, pausing in her explanation when the waiter brought her the latte.

Misty could only silently marvel as Dawn continued. "Now, I know that tuxedo fittings are a pain for the groom so I do also know of places that do house calls."

At this, Ash straightened in his seat. "Tuxedo fitting house calls? That's it Misty, we are so hiring this girl."

Dawn giggled as Misty gently smiled. "I must say Dawn, even though I could tell you were very enthusiastic over the phone, I didn't imagine that you would have this much information ready for us at the first meeting and I am very impressed right now."

"Thank you Ms. Waterflower."

"Please. Call me Misty. And not that it's any of my business but how old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

"So you've probably just finished up college."

Dawn nodded. A single blue streaked strand of hair came out of place from its bun and Misty couldn't help but mentally encourage the rest of the strands to follow suit.

"I know it was sort of hard to see on my resume but I studied business and fashion in undergrad."

"Hey, I did business too!" Ash remarked, leaning forward eagerly. "I also earned my MBA so if you have any questions, you know who to come to."

"Okay wow. The Junior VP of Oak Tech offering me advice? As if I could pass up that chance!" Dawn gushed genuinely.

Misty grinned, glad to see that the younger woman did have a youthful air about her despite the uptight appearance.

"I don't know if this one can actually give any good advice though," Misty joked, jerking a thumb in Ash's direction. "You're better off asking Gary."

"Gary. As in Gary _Oak_?"

"None other. He's the best man. But he definitely cannot give better advice than me," Ash replied flicking a crumb at Misty. "You should probably just stay away from him all together."

"Why's that?" Dawn asked, eyes slightly wider and filled with curiosity.

Before Ash could go into detail about his best friend's lack of commitment and the trail of broken hearts he'd left in every town, Misty quickly steered the conversation back towards the actual topic at hand.

"Well Dawn, you have certainly shown us a lot more than I expected and although Ash is eager to hire you based on your offer for the house calls, he and I will have to still discuss this privately before coming to a final decision."

Dawn nodded. "I completely understand. I usually request that clients get back to me within a week if possible. Though everyone is in the market to get married, they don't always hire wedding coordinators so the competition in this business is pretty fierce. If I don't get one job, I have to leap at the chance for another, if you get what I mean."

"Oh trust me, I totally get it," Misty said, fondly remembering her days as an independent owner of her matchmaking business. "Speaking of business, are you an independent coordinator for hire or do you work through a larger company?"

At this, Dawn pulled out a sleek black folder from within the binder and handed it to Misty. In golden letters it read Rocketing Innovations. Misty opened it to find Dawn's business card along with sheets of paper containing information they had discussed throughout their meeting.

Ash leaned over to look at the card and contents of the folder. "I've never heard of this company. Is it new?"

"It's only been around for about two years. They're a small job-market agency. They help young people who are just out of college get started in their careers."

"So does this mean I'd be going through you or them?" Misty asked.

"Me. They're there in case you have any complaints about me or things like that. And they get a percentage of whatever I make. They've been really great though. Without their help and training, I wouldn't have had the confidence to call you yesterday. Anyways, I want to thank you very much for your time and for giving me the opportunity to speak with you," Dawn said, zipping up her leather binder. She pushed her chair back and stood. "Please call me if you have any further questions about my qualifications or the agency or just something in general and I definitely encourage you to use your full week before finalizing your decision."

Misty and Ash stood as well.

"Thank you for having the courage to call us!" Misty said. "I guess this Rocketing Innovations is doing something good helping young kids out. Sometimes I wish I'd had some direction back then in times when I didn't know what I was doing. In any case, we will contact you very soon. We won't make you wait a week."

"Thanks! And thank you also for the coffee."

"You're welcome."

"It was nice to meet you Dawn."

"You too Mr. Ketchum."

"Ash."

"Very well. Ash. Take care."

Misty shook hands with Dawn once more before the young woman strode off towards the exit.

"I like her."

"You like the tuxedo fitting house calls."

"You like her too."

Misty didn't respond as she gathered her belongings and headed further into the aquarium towards the dolphin tanks. She could hear Ash following her and thought to herself that perhaps with such a capable wedding coordinator, maybe the process of her wedding would go that much smoother.

~*~

"Did you get the job?"

"I told them to get back to me within one week."

"So you didn't get the job."

"No! I'm almost ninety-nine percent positive that I got it. But I can't force them to make a decision right then and there. It's not proper business etiquette."

Pause.

"Very well. As soon as they accept you, let us know."

"Yes sir."

"Remember, you have a very important job to do."

"I know. Don't worry. I won't mess up."

"See that you don't."

Click.

Dawn sighed as she slid her phone shut and slipped it into the pocket of her pinstriped skirt. They were nice, she decided. Ash and Misty that is. She knew she had clinched the job as soon as she had mentioned the tuxedo fitting house calls. That always did the trick because it wasn't a task other coordinators were able to successfully accomplish. Now all she had to do was make it official and begin the real work.

*****Author's Note*****

Oh my goodness. Why I am OMGing? I don't know. Maybe because I'm feeling that newbie-amateurish rush of excitement and anxiety from wondering what you all thought about this long-awaited chapter? I feel like I owe you all much more than what's been revealed here. In fact, I KNOW I owe you the entire story after making you wait so long but unfortunately, it's not completely written out nor would it be as fun for any of us. In any case, I hope this chapter has satisfied your reading hunger and I promise that the fun is only just beginning!

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

No preview of Chapter 5. I'm reworking a few things. Came up with a couple of new ideas that need to be incorporated so I don't want to give you all the wrong info. Sorry but I'll update fast this time!!! ^^

**Review Responses ~ I think I missed this the most in the past few months, connecting with you all. Hopefully we can get that back now!!!**

_Sanity's Madness_: Ahaha yes you may certainly get Todd a pimp stick. Man if I was an artist, I would so draw that. Well you've got the math right…but you'll see if there's a new tradition or not! I've certainly got things planned for our characters! And yes I loved Haunter in that episode where they're in the ghost tower and who can't love rocket's Meowth! He's such a closet sweetie.

_pikagurl23_: You would be correct in assuming that there are hidden motives. ^^ What those motives are…well you'll find out as the story unfolds! And I hope you liked the Serena/Gary interaction here! I really had fun writing that scene.

_Rogue Ninja_: Hope this chapter was a bit longer for you! Hahaha yes I suppose Ash is skilled in chopping and talking. I mean, he's nearing 30. Gotta get that skill sometime or another!

_Death's Serenade_: Haha I like your idea of Todd and Ritchie swapping info. But I can so imagine Ritchie attempting to explain childbirth to Todd and Todd passing out at the mere mention of the word! Hope you liked the scene with Serena and Mr. Playboy. Totally fun to write!...Yeah I used to be one of those authors where I'd get this brilliant idea and just start typing it out chapter by chapter, never really plotting properly. I've done that since elementary school and it's taken me a while but I've finally got the hang of plotting. I think it's all about patience. I get impatient and just want to write but that is not the way to go about writing. Anyways, I'm sorry this chapter didn't make it in time to help you de-stress for your exam state but hope you liked it anyway!!!

_61wisampa_: Haha yup Ash can cook. Or so he thinks….lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_GreenGoblin15_: Well it hasn't been soon but I am back and will return to updating soon!

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: Haha yup Todd is in the anime. I think he's only in one or two episodes though but I found him an intriguing character. Did you find the episodes he's in?...Any luck on the strawberry cookie recipe? You know, I bought a cookie book. I should check in there…You are certainly welcome to steal Dawn's cookie if she starts flirting with Ash. Doesn't look like she has in this chapter tho! Anyways, thank you as always for your review!

_Ronmione x3_: Ash really does get the credit but his friends will definitely never agree with him. Haha. Hope you liked the meeting with Todd!! Also on a sidenote, I just rewatched HP6 movie. LOVE the R/Hr moments!

_shut up and read or go away_: Haha I meant the whole biological aspect of the 'baby making' process. And I really do hope five year olds don't know! They're too young!!!...As for Dawn, yeah though I've never watched episodes with her, I did some research. I keep wanting to call her a wedding planner instead of coordinator but I want to keep coordinator for the exact reason you said. And whether she'll end up with someone…well…you shall see. I have plans for her. ^^

_ShadowMario3_: I just love to torture Ritchie. His character is just like that. Haha. And Ash did totally own Misty. It's funny cause I didn't even think of it like that until right at the moment I wrote it! Hope you liked Dawn's appearance!

_CarpeDiemEveryday_: Yeah can't you just see Ritchie as a baby doctor?? Now he'll probably want one of his own. Or not. Haha. We'll see! And unfortunately for him and Melody, looks like more time apart!..Haha and you would be right that there are no Pokemon in this story. I hope I do Dawn's characterization justice since I've never actually watched an episode with her in it….Lol glad you liked the Todd scene! That seems to be the fav!

_Teva Faye_: As you can see, Serena is pretty upset with Gary yet there's something deeper goin on there! Hope you enjoyed!

_Ghost_: Thank you for your suggestions! May might come into play here. I don't wanna give away anything just yet. As for Anabel and Angie, I will certainly do my research on them and see if they can fit into the plot. ^^

_Steveaaml_: Thank you! I love Ash cooking too. There's something about a guy in an apron and cooking dinner that's appealing…Haha.

_merise_: So it's been months….any development with you and that friend?? ^_~ If not, that's okay too. If you read my profile, you'll see that I just went through something with my own friend…Anyways, what do you think how I characterized Dawn?? Hopefully it's okay so far!...Haha I love your comments on certain lines! Totally makes me laugh. ^^

_RaveOn21_: Hello! Your "crazy friend" is amusing. ^^ I've researched Paul. Haha him as a wedding coordinator would be amusing. But alas, he doesn't quite serve the same purpose as Dawn for being a coordinator. He may come in later though. We shall see!

_Random-Leafy-Spirit_: Okay so you are going to have to explain to me…Dawn let Ambipom go? I'm guessing that's her pokemon?...So have you gone around the past few months saying DADDY SNAP??? Lol. I'll be honest, after re-reading chapter 3, that phrase does stick out in my mind. Lol. Hope you enjoyed the Serena/Gary interaction!!

_DR14_: Thank you very much!!! I'm glad you like the character developments in their subplots. I love doing that. It's the way to build a story. At least, that's how I see it. I hope I do a good job of this story with Ash and Misty already as a couple. I haven't seen too many of those either so be sure to let me know what you think of it! ^^

_BowlingStar08_: Hahaha who knows, Todd may be bi-polar. Or just crazy in general. He was fun to write last chapter, that's for sure! I am interested to know what your guesses for Dawn are but I guess if you tell me, I'll want to tell you too but then I won't and then it'll get us nowhere. Haha. And thank you!

_poka_: Haha yes, Ash does have those rare moments in which he does actually act like the adult he is supposed to be. ^^ I love torturing Ritchie. He is just too easy!

_Black-Sakura27_: Yeah last chapter was more like a filler, moving-the-plot-along chapter. One of those more boring but necessary type things. This chapter definitely has more going on so I hope you liked it!!! And I still want to hear your guesses whenever you've got the chance! I can wait though. I've made you wait forever for this update as it is!

_Guibin_: Well I haven't made Dawn too excitable in this chapter since she's trying to appear mature and get the job. So we'll see. ^^ As for it being like the movie The Wedding Planner, well, the wedding planner runs gets the groom sooo…yeah we'll see about that. Haha.

_Chika Hoshi_: You know, I'm not too good at the really big jigsaw puzzles but I do like putting pieces together slowly for a story. It's fun! ^^ And yuuup back to torturing Ritchie! You know it's awesome. Haha.

_bluejay511_: Thank you! And you know, I didn't really think of Ash being the main reason everyone got together until I actually wrote that section out. Haha. I mean I know I wrote the fic and created the plot but I didn't realize it was more of a domino effect than random events happening. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_K T Waterflower_: Well I didn't finish the story but I am back to continue it. I will not leave this story uncompleted even if it takes me the rest of the year!!! (which I hope it won't.) I'm glad you like Serena!!! I love writing her and Gary together. So much fun!!!

_Poke-Digifan123-awesomeJ_: Aw thank you! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: Hey CoolGirl! I'm glad you liked all that happened last chapter! Ash and Todd were both fun to write. ^^ Hope you liked this chapter!!!

_Miss J Idiotic_: Well you got your Gary and Serena moments here! Hope it was enough for now. ^^ Hope you liked this chapter!

_Epicocity_: Thank you for reading MTM and I'm glad you're liking the AU! I wanted to take a chance and really develop the characters while creating fun plots. And hey, you are totally allowed to read romantic comedy even if you write darker fics. It's like me reading darker stories while writing romantic comedy. ^^ Although I'll admit, I haven't read TOO much dark stuff. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter!

_Mr Roxas_: Hey! A very very VERY late Happy Birthday!!! Yay to being 23! It's not much different from 22 is it? But I sent you a message earlier didn't I? Although that was a bit late too but not as late as this update. I'm glad you decided to read my fic before the Iron Man. Means a lot. ^^ And sorry for the lack of the "weekly" updates. Clearly, that has not worked well. Just too much stuff that happened which I explained in my profile if you're interested. But anyways, I still look forward to being back and having you back as a reviewer!

_snooper rofle_: Thank you!!! I am so glad you liked MTM and are back for the sequel! I hope you liked this chapter!

_MusicalSoul3000_: Thank you!!! I hope you liked the Gary/Serena scene in this chapter! I had total fun writing it and playing it out in my head. ^^

_Star Shinee_: Yeah I feel bad for Ritchie and Melody too. But keeping them apart is essential to the plot! Haha hopefully Ritchie doesn't faint when it's their turn. But who knows?...Also sorry for not being able to update before your reading break was over. But I'm back and will go back to being more regular! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Homo Genus_: Haha I don't know much about the new character so I didn't want to include them at first. But I was running out of old school characters that I felt were significant enough to write in. But I hope you keep reading anyway! Also thank you for the rest of your awesome review! When I read it, it really made my day. ^^ Also thank you re-reading and being the 100th reviewer! I wish I could hand out prizes or something but I guess my gratitude will have to suffice for now. ^_^

_Athletic Nerd_: Although I'm back a little later than I had said, I am definitely back. Life is certainly picking back up!!! And you calling me one of your heroes totally brought tears to my eyes. Seriously. Thank you so much for your support!!! And now that I'm back, I'll definitely read your story! Sorry for the delay.

_Munchlax Jr_.: Update is here! Hope you enjoyed it! ^^

_s.a.e.i.a.-e.u.c.a_.: I'm glad you liked the Serena and Gary scene earlier and hope this one was just as enjoyable! Thanks for your review!!!


	5. What Best Friends Are For

*****Author's Note*****

As always much love and thanks for the encouraging reviews and also thank you all for your support for my time away. ^_^

Also, NEED YOUR OPINION!!!! I haven't used this feature yet, but I was wondering how you all would feel about having a Forum about this fic? I don't quite know if the forums are used for the purpose of discussing an author's work but why not try it?

Anyways, let me know. We've got several more chapters to go and I'm planning to stick around and write it so long as you're all here to read. I thought it might be fun to open up a forum to let you all discuss your thoughts and such. But only if it's something you all are interested in. Otherwise, we'll stay with the reviews and review responses (which I won't stop doing just because of the forum). ^_^

Okay, enough chat. Get ready for all EIGHT of our main characters to come into play here! 3

**Disclaimer**: The usual.

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 5: What Best Friends Are For

Click. Snap. Flash.

Duplica groaned into her pillow. She recognized that sound. It was as recognizable to her as her mother's voice. But to hear it so close to her face and so early in the morning? _That_ was unfamiliar not to mention discomforting.

Click. Snap. Click. Flash.

"Todd," Duplica moaned, pulling the covers up to shield her still-closed eyes. "What are you doing?"

Click. Snap. Flash.

"I'm documenting our baby's existence," came the reply from beside her. Duplica could feel her husband sitting atop the covers on his side of the bed, leaning over her huddled form.

She heard a few more snaps of the shutter and debated whether to properly address the situation before it got out of hand or let the man continue what he was doing and attempt to go back to sleep.

Click. Snap. Flash. "Perfect!"

Duplica threw back the covers, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and used those same eyes to glare. Keeping the angered look upon her face was difficult though when she saw the elation etched into Todd's features. He held his best digital camera in his hands and behind that, his eyes were shining above the largest grin she had ever seen on his face.

Click. Snap. Flash.

Duplica blinked rapidly as the flash momentarily blinded her. She held a hand out to cover the lens before her overly excited husband could take another shot.

"Todd," she began slowly, lowering the camera. "What do you mean by 'I'm documenting our baby's existence?'"

"Just that. I'm one of the best photographers in the area. And as such, I am obligated to make sure our child has the absolute best pictures to keep as memories."

"I understand that. But our child isn't even born yet. He or she doesn't exist except inside of me at the moment."

"Which is why I'm taking pictures of you."

Duplica stared at her husband, hand still wrapped around the lens of his camera. She felt him attempting to gently tug it away but she kept a firm hold. Todd stared back, genuine smile still plastered to his face. Seven months of having personal paparazzi following her around? And this wasn't the type of paparazzi she could get rid of by slamming the front door either. There happened to be the little fact that she was married to the guy.

Sure, she wanted to document the slow growth of her abdomen as she'd seen other women do but knowing Todd, he would not stop there. And Todd wasn't bragging when he called himself the best photographer in the area. It was a simple known fact. Which would come in handy for future family portraits. But right now?

Todd tugged his camera again and this time she let him have it, only to hold a hand up in midair to keep him from snapping.

"I think," Duplica started as Todd lowered the camera. "We need to set some ground rules for this photography quest you're on."

"This wouldn't be a quest. It's a simple documentation. A quest is when a hero sets out to conquer evil or do battle for the princess."

Duplica took a deep breath. "Dear, as much as I love it when you go nerd on me, this is so not the time. You cannot go around taking…taking..." she trailed off, feeling an odd sensation inside her stomach. She suddenly felt dizzy and a wave of nausea passed through her body. "Oh no."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Todd asked, grabbing her by the elbow to help steady his wavering wife as she struggled to sit up.

She shrugged him off and headed straight for the bathroom, one hand clutching her stomach, the other splayed over her mouth. Flinging the door open, she leaned over the open toilet seat and let the morning sickness take over.

Click. Snap. Flash.

She grabbed a towel hanging by the sink and swiped it across her mouth.

Click. Snap. Flash.

Slowly, Duplica turned, towel still at her mouth in case another attack hit. She met Todd's eyes and his fingers hovered over the button.

"I wonder if your camera can swim in a toilet full of pregnancy puke," Duplica stated, her voice steely.

"Ah…I guess this a bad time, huh?" Todd replied, nervously backing away from the doorframe.

"The next seven months will be a bad time."

"I see. Um…well uh do you need anything sweetheart? Like…a heating pad? Or uh…warm milk?"

Duplica raised an eyebrow. "Todd, I'm not going to need those items for the next seven months."

"Oh. So…this is what they call morning sickness, huh?"

"Yes. And I'd appreciate it not being documented every time it happens."

"Every time? You mean..."

"Yes. Todd, more than taking pictures, you need to read up on what I'll be going through. In fact, I'll go get dressed and head to the bookstore right now!" Duplica stated, suddenly in a much brighter mood. In the back of her mind, she briefly acknowledged that she was acting like a madwoman, one minute angry enough to drown Todd's expensive camera, the next, chipper than the other side of the sun. But for now, she didn't care. She knew hormones would be affecting her moods as it is so while they were allowing her to be in this happy phase, she might as well take advantage.

She quickly rinsed her mouth and sailed past Todd back into the bedroom and towards her closet.

"Duplica?"

"Mmhmm?" she responded, pulling out a shirt and holding it against her before her full length mirror.

"Are you – are you okay?"

"Perfectly!" Duplica responded. "I can't wait to get you some books on pregnancy. This way we can both enjoy the trip together."

As Duplica continued to take shirts out and toss them to the side, she failed to notice the horrified look upon Todd's face or see him slink out of the bedroom and head off to work, his camera left behind on the floor in front of the bathroom.

**~*~**

Misty checked the time on her cell phone and after confirming that it was indeed just a little past noon, strolled in through the double doors of Cascade Academy on Monday. In one hand, she clutched a takeout bag from Cerulean Chinese Garden. After Serena's mild Oak Tree insult at Gary via text message, she was curious to know what happened over the weekend. Plus, she was eager to share the news about hiring Dawn with her best friend.

As Misty walked down the halls towards Serena's classroom, she couldn't help but feel nostalgic. She hadn't visited her old high school for a while and every time she came, it was like being seventeen all over again. But then she actually took a look at the teenagers swarming the halls all gossiping, smacking gum, and chatting on their cell phones while wondering who was likely to be prom king and queen and she immediately reverted back to being twenty-seven.

" – Oak with Ms. Seer?"

" – dated I heard."

"He's so –"

"And built for an old guy."

Okay so maybe these kids' conversations didn't center on prom, Misty thought with a wry grin as she turned down another hallway, checking the classroom numbers to make sure she didn't miss the room.

She'd definitely have to tell Gary that they thought of him as an old guy but perhaps skip the part of them admiring his physique. She chuckled to herself, wondering what Gary had done to cause the slight commotion as she finally approached the appropriate classroom and poked her head in.

Serena was standing by her desk while a flock of girls surrounded her.

"Go to lunch! Unless you have a question about psychology I won't say anything else," she was telling them when she looked up at Misty's entrance.

"Misty! Thank goodness!" Serena said. She pried herself away from the teenage girls and desperately looked into her friend's eyes. "Help," she mouthed.

Misty held up the bag of lunch goodness and she could see the desperation ebb away, replaced by gratefulness and hunger.

"I love you."

"Nothing but the best for my best friend," Misty replied.

"That's so cheesy."

At this point, Serena's students made their way towards the pair and had formed a sort of semi-circle around them. Misty had the distinct feeling of being a dolphin surrounded by plaid-wearing bloodthirsty sharks.

"Ms. Waterflower?" one girl asked, sidling up to the redhead. Misty looked down. Amber was her name if she remembered correctly from her last visit.

"Yes?"

"Are Ms. Seer and Gary Oak together?"

Misty had to choke back a laugh at the dismayed look on Serena's reddening face. But she knew she had to help and so, she swallowed her mirth and shook her head to disprove the rumors that had spouted out of who-knows-where.

"They are not together. They are just good friends. Same as Gary and me. He's one of my good friends too. No romantic involvement anywhere."

After such a statement, the girls had nothing more to say and slowly left to have their lunch.

"Oh thank you!" Serena said, throwing herself on Misty. "I really do hate Gary right now."

Misty finally let out the laughter she had been struggling to keep in and Serena let her go while rolling her eyes.

"Kids these days really don't know the respect line, do they?" Misty observed.

"Unfortunately not."

"So, is there somewhere we can sit and talk without being eavesdropped on?" Misty asked.

"Not really. Best I can do is lock my door and hope the walls don't have ears."

After a few moments, the two women sat at Serena's desk, takeout boxes full of lo mien, fried rice, dumplings and other artery-clogging fried Chinese food spread out with the classroom door firmly shut and locked.

They ate in silence for a bit, Serena struggling to capture a dumpling and Misty slurping egg drop soup. Finally Serena gave up and stabbed the dumpling viciously with one chopstick before tearing off a big bite.

"Angry are we?" Misty commented, wiping her mouth.

Serena sighed then shrugged. "Gary showed up Friday and said some stuff."

"Ah. So now the kiddies are making up their own stories," Misty finished, remembering how she and Serena used to catch snippets of conversations and concoct their own tales during their years at the private school. "You can't blame them," she continued. "It's what being a teenager is all about. Turn a tiny fact into a huge rumor on the gossip mill. Especially when it's about their hot young teacher and a hot young exec. Although, I heard that some of the kids think of Gary as old."

At this, Serena let out a laugh. "Because he is. Especially in comparison to them."

Misty smiled and helped herself to some fried rice. "So is that all that's bothering you? What was up with the Oak Tree comment?"

Serena waved a hand. "Nothing. Just Gary being annoying in the morning."

"You need to come up with a better nickname-insult. Oak Tree? Really?"

"Okay so I've been spending a little too much time around some freshman," Serena conceded. "Plus, I have to tone down the language when I'm teaching as it is so I've gotten used to not calling him by the usual insults when he makes me mad."

"Right."

"Anyways." Here Serena sat up straighter and her dark eyes widened. "I think Gary's ill."

"Ill?" Misty repeated. "Why?"

"He was over yesterday and we were just talking when out of the blue, he asks me to be his love coach."

"Excuse me?"

"Wait. It gets better. He said that he's almost thirty and he realized he needs to settle down at sometime. Give Professor Oak some grandkids and whatnot."

"WHAT?"

"It gets even better," Serena replied, resting her chopsticks on the side of her plate. "Apparently most women he goes out with are after his money and fame. So he doesn't know how to tell a gold-digger from a non-gold-digger."

"WHAT? That's stupid! Just look at all of us! We're not –"

"I know Mist. You and I can figure it out but Gary's stupid. He says he wants help in trying to find the right girl and convince her he's serious about a relationship as opposed to a one-night stand."

By now, Misty's eyes were about to pop out of her head. She had expected some sort of interesting Gary-related story like the one about how he had hid in Serena's bathtub one time but to hear that the playboy of the century was actually resolving to "settle down" and ask Serena for help to do so was just too much.

"Are you sure he's not lying?"

Serena tapped the top of her desk and looked thoughtful. "I considered that at first. But then I realized he was being absolutely serious. When I saw him Saturday morning, I could tell something was bothering him and I guess this was it."

"So. Mr. Playboy, Gary Oak, is seeking true love and you're his love coach?" Misty asked slowly, putting air quotes around the last two words.

"Apparently so. But, we can't let this get out to the media otherwise every woman from here to Antarctica will be trying to mold themselves to be Gary Oak's perfect woman."

"Which is?"

"I have no idea but it appears that as his 'coach' it's my 'job' to find out."

Misty bit her lip as she watched Serena pick her chopsticks back up and resume eating. She hesitated a moment before asking, "And um…you're okay with this?"

Serena paused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…you're okay with helping find Gary a…a…" Misty struggled for the right word before saying, "A wife?"

"Why shouldn't I be? He and I are friends and this is what friends do for each other," Serena responded and Misty wondered if she could hear the lack of enthusiasm in her own voice. But she decided not to press any further.

"Well good luck I guess."

"Right."

"So did I tell you about the wedding coordinator?" Misty asked excitedly, quickly changing the topic.

Serena looked up and shook her head, mouth open in pleasant surprise. "No! You caved in and got one?"

"I think so. We interviewed her yesterday. Her name's Dawn. And she's with some agency called Rocketing Innovations. Have you heard of them?"

Serena scrunched up her forehead in thought. "I _think_ so. It sounds familiar in any case. Oh!" she snapped her fingers. "A student teacher a while ago was sent from that company! Remember the one we had dinner with a few times?"

"May something?"

"Yes! May. She was with them. And she did really well with her student teaching so I'd say that this agency is pretty legit."

Misty nodded in acceptance. "Okay sounds good. This coordinator seems really put together too. She's young but capable."

"Just be careful!" Serena said, a grin forming on her face. When Misty shot her a questioning look, Serena continued, "Be careful she doesn't run off with Ash!"

Misty let out a laugh. "Please. I love Ash but he is too dumb to do something like that and he knows very well what would happen to him if he did."

"I did make him watch _The Wedding Planner_, you know."

"Are you trying to have my man run off on me?"

"No ma'am."

"Good."

The two friends laughed at the notion of Ash falling for Dawn. Dawn seemed cute but it was evident that she was far more interested in her career than a man at the moment which made Misty feel even more secure about the decision to hire her. Plus, if that young teacher May was also from the agency, it only further solidified her trust.

They continued eating their lunch, the conversation now centered on Misty's wedding plans and Serena's suggestions for a themed wedding which Misty immediately shot down.

"Party pooper," Serena said, sticking her tongue out childishly.

Misty only retorted by grabbing the last dumpling with a grin.

**~*~**

Ash drummed his fingers atop his desk as he stared down at the numbers printed out before him. If he stared long enough, he could make them fit together but that was cheating. He shook his head, rubbed his eyes and looked back down once more.

Something definitely wasn't right here. He took out a pencil and scrap sheet of paper from his drawer and started scrawling his own mathematics when his office door opened with a soft jingle. Before even looking up to see who was interrupting this crucial moment of calculating, he quickly slammed his binder shut and pushed it to the side.

"What's up Gary?" he asked, still not looking up while folding the sheet of paper in half.

"How'd you know it was me?"

This time, Ash glanced up with a grin. "You're the only one who doesn't knock when entering the Junior VP's office. Even Misty knocks."

"That's because I own this building. I don't need to knock to enter where I want, when I want," Gary replied plopping down on the couch. He grabbed the remote off the coffee table and switched the flat screen on the wall to the sports channel.

"Your grandfather owns it. You don't get it for another several months," Ash replied, sliding the paper inside the binder.

"Hm," was Gary's only response.

Ash wondered if now would be a good time to mention the mismatched numbers in the accounting book he was looking at but decided to sort things out himself before someone below got fired unnecessarily. The young man rolled his chair back from his desk and went to sit on an armchair by the couch.

He noticed that the usually cool and cocky Gary was wavering to display a fidgety Junior President. If Ash hadn't been friends with Gary since childhood, he wouldn't have realized that Gary's attention was not focused upon the football cheerleaders on the television screen and his twiddling fingers were signs of a non-cool and non-collected Gary.

"I hear you pissed off Serena. Again," Ash began, wondering if that was the problem.

Gary looked over and raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk spreading on his face. "Oh really?"

"Did you hide in her bathtub again hoping to catch a glimpse of her?"

"Okay you know, I did that three years ago and it was _only _to scare her! I was wearing a mask and it was Halloween!"

"Sure pervert."

"How do you know I was visiting her?"

"You told me you had a date in Cerulean."

"So?"

"So? You go bug the poor girl every time you're in Cerulean. That and she sent Misty a text message Oak Tree."

Gary rolled his eyes. "As if that's insulting."

"Okay so if your weekend visit isn't what's bothering you, what is?" Ash asked, realizing that the only approach was the direct one. And as much as he wanted to be the good best friend and slowly coax Gary into discussing his problems, the numbers he had hidden away in the book were nagging Ash.

But he couldn't get back to them until he did best friend duty first. At least an advantage of having known someone for most of your life was that you could pretty much force them to tell you what was wrong.

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

Ash sighed. Unfortunately, Gary did not share the same sentiments as Ash and he did not believe in spilling one's guts all at once.

"Do you really want to drag this process out? We know I'm going to tell you why I think something is wrong and then you'll deny it and then I'll have to convince you otherwise after which you may or may not tell me. If you tell me, great, we can take care of that discussion now. If not, then I can get back to my work and you can leave."

"Way to be a best friend," Gary replied, loosening his tie.

"That's what we do."

"Fine. I'll tell you. But first, lock your door will you? I don't need someone coming in on this one."

Ash raised an eyebrow, wondering just what was so secretive. Aside from Gary's playboy status, his life wasn't all that wild or abnormal. Sure, he was probably one of the richest young heirs alive. But tabloids could never get any dirt on him because he never squandered his money on stupid things or engaged in illegal acts. In fact, Ash realized with a smirk to himself as he walked to the door, as much as Gary thought of himself as a bad boy, he just wasn't.

After turning the lock, Ash returned to his seat and looked over at Gary who was running a hand through his hair and scratching his head. Another Gary nervous tick.

Then it hit Ash.

"I -" Gary began but Ash cut him off.

"You got a girl pregnant! Oh my god. I knew it was bound to happen one of these days. You fool! Now what are you going to do? Marry her? You're supposed to marry Ser – some girl that you didn't knock up! If you ever get married that is. Oh man, oh man," Ash prattled on, picturing Professor Oak's dreams of continuing the Oak line shattering as it ended up in the hands of the son of a showgirl. Not that being a showgirl was bad. But she'd only want Gary for his money to purchase every shoe in the world and to buy her son Ferrari's and Oak Tech would go bankrupt and then were would Ash and Gary be?

As Ash paced frantically, lost deep inside his disturbing, unrealistic fantasies of Oak Tech's future doom, he failed to notice Gary staring at him in an odd expression tinged with a desire to throw something at Ash.

"You've been hanging out way too much with Serena," Gary finally said causing Ash to stop and stare down at him.

"What?"

"You both make up crazy stories. Sit down you idiot."

Ash sat.

"I didn't knock anyone up."

"Oh. Wait, then – "

"If you'll shut up for a second, I'll tell you," Gary said through gritted teeth.

Ash pressed his lips together to prevent himself from saying what was now crossing his mind, that Gary was gay and that he had hidden his homosexuality all these years by being with different women. Oh man. No wonder he was unable to commit to one woman! Poor Serena, Ash continued to think when Gary finally started speaking again.

"Okay so," Gary began then ran a hand through hair. "I was talking to my grandfather."

Oh man. Here it comes.

"And he told me I have to get engaged before my thirtieth birthday."

Oh man. He just told me. Now what do I do? I don't care if he's gay. He's still my best friend but what if he's in love with _me_? Wait – engaged?

"Yes. Engaged. To be married. And no I am not in love with you," Gary said, looking at Ash strangely.

Ash chuckled nervously, realizing he had said the last bit aloud.

"What is wrong with you Ketchum?"

"Sorry. Work stress. Sorry. Um…engaged? To who? Why? What?" Ash rattled out, his brain still slightly frozen from the shock of Gary not being gay and instead having to be engaged, especially when 'engaged to be married' and 'Gary' did not fit in the same sentence.

Gary nodded and leaned back into the couch. "Yeah. He said if I don't find someone I love to be engaged to, I can't inherit the company."

"WHAT?" Ash sat up straight, eyes wide. "Professor Oak, the one who absolutely loves and adores you for reasons unknown won't let you inherit?"

"Unless I get engaged. And I'm ignoring your spite towards me."

"So he's going to risk losing the company to a non-Oak."

"Pretty much."

"Why?"

Gary explained how the professor was only thinking of Gary's happiness and that he wanted to see the company's security in a continuation through the Oak lineage. "Or something like that," Gary finished, running his hands through his hair yet again.

Ash sat back contemplatively. He rubbed his chin and bit his lip, taking in the seriousness of Gary's current situation. Maybe this wasn't better than Gary having knocked up a girl or being gay. Gary and love just did not work together in regards to a woman. Sure, Gary was capable of love. Ash knew that. Gary loved Professor Oak. Gary loved Ash. Gary loved Misty and all their other friends. But that was all familial love.

What Professor Oak was asking Gary to find was something Ash had never seen Gary chase after or even desire.

They sat in silence for a few moments, each mulling the ultimatum over in their heads until Ash spoke.

"So what are you going to do?"

Gary turned his head to look over, a forlorn expression in his eyes. He shrugged. "I have no choice do I? I have to fall in love or forfeit my life."

"You make it sound like the end of the world."

"Might as well be."

"Being in love isn't so bad," Ash commented. "I've told you this before."

"I know. But…it's like a foreign concept to me."

"Hm."

Gary now sat up. "Listen. Don't mention this to anyone okay? Not even Misty and especially not Serena."

Why especially not Serena? Ash wondered privately but aloud he agreed to keep the secret.

"It's not that I don't trust them. It's just that I don't really want anyone else finding out right now," Gary continued.

"Got it."

"Great. Thanks buddy." Gary stood up from the couch and headed towards the door. "Anyways, I've got a meeting with the board later today. You gonna be there?"

Ash glanced back at the binder on this desk then shook his head. "Nah. You take care of it. I have a few things here that need to be taken care of."

"Later," Gary said then with a wave, exited Ash's office.

Ash got up to return to his binder but he couldn't help but think of Gary's predicament. Fall in love or give up the inheritance you'd been reared for your whole life to handle. He shook his head, wondering if Professor Oak wasn't a bit off is rocker. How could love be forced like that, into some sort of deal? Granted, Ash had had his share of secrets and sneakiness in the past but it wasn't for the sake of love. That had been for the sake of fun which resulted in love. But this…this was like precariously balancing love and money on a scale without knowing how to actually maintain the balance.

This thought process is getting too complex and philosophical for me, the Junior VP thought. He shook his head, took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the confusing accounting figures, deciding it had to be easier to solve than Gary's predicament.

**~*~**

"I'm sorry Mel," a high-pitched voice said from near her right ear. "Please forgive me."

Melody raised an eyebrow, put her chin in her left hand and turned to look at the thing that was peering over her right shoulder. It was rather hideous, she had to admit. Googly eyes glued haphazardly to its oversized bald green head stared up at her. Its tiny body was enclosed by large hands that were attempting to make the thing "dance" by her head.

"What the hell is that thing?"

Her husband's much more appealing face now appeared beside the thing's. "That's the first thing you have to say? Does this mean you forgive me?"

"We've barely seen each other the past week, I came home and made our two-month anniversary dinner which is a few days late, you're two hours late with no prior notice and you come home with this boggle eyed psycho frog as an apology?"

"Well when you put it that way…"

"How else am I supposed to put it?"

Ritchie pulled himself up from his kneeling position on the ground to the dining table chair beside Melody. "I think I'll answer your previous question first. I picked this up from the hospital's gift shop. It had a shirt that said 'Get Well Soon' but that didn't fit with the current situation."

"So you stripped him. It."

"Yes."

Melody stared at her husband then turned her gaze towards the freaky green stuffed thing he still held then at the covered dishes sitting on the table to the melting candles lit around the room and back to the psycho frog thing.

"They actually sell such a monstrosity at a hospital?" she finally said, deciding that the notion of such an ugly doll being sold for patients was a far more pressing matter than her cold chicken roast. "It's bound to give children nightmares and curse the old people to death!"

Ritchie looked down at it. "Aw. It's not so" – a googly eye fell off – "okay it's bad. Really bad. A doctor's wife makes them. She's an eccentric local artist and as he's one of the long-time benefactors for the entire hospital. I think they're obligated to put his wife's stuff for sale."

"There should be a protest against them. It's not healthy."

"I agree."

"Children should not receive them as presents."

"I agree."

"You should have totally purchased something better for me than this thing."

"I agree."

"Good. So did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Purchase something better than this," Melody said, pinching one of the thing's giant floppy ears between two fingers and holding it up to eye-level for a closer inspection of its atrocity.

"I – uh…what now?"

She sighed and placed the thing on the table, turning it facedown so she wouldn't have to look at its one-eyed gaze. "Never mind. Why are you late and why couldn't you find a second to tell me?"

This time, a sigh escaped Ritchie. "Schedule conflicts," he said then stood up and pulled off his navy blue scrub shirt. He walked over to the laundry room beside the kitchen and continued his explanation, his voice getting louder as he got further away. "Rodriguez suddenly decided to get the flu this afternoon and passed out. Bennett's on vacation which left me as the only second year resident covering the whole ward. The seniors just want to graduate so they're always off doing who knows what and the third years pass the bulk of the work onto us. But we can't pass it to first years because they're not experienced enough."

He came back to the table wearing a clean t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants and this time sat across from his wife. "Right after I spoke to you on the phone and said I was headed over, the woman who had just given birth fell into some complications and the baby was having sudden seizures so we had to take care of both of them which took almost two hours. It's just been a rough on-call weekend overall," he finished, pouring himself a glass of cold water and taking a long, steady drink.

"I had no idea," Melody said in awe, feeling highly disappointed in herself for her selfish attitude.

She knew her husband had worked hard to get where he was now and he continued to struggle. She knew the path to becoming a physician wasn't easy, just as the road to becoming a performer wasn't. But being a doctor meant having someone else's life in your hands and sometimes she tended to forget that she had to share Ritchie with others who needed him.

Melody stood up and walked behind Ritchie. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

Ritchie turned his head so that their noses almost touched. "I'm not asking you to be sorry. I should be saying sorry for not having at least sent you a text message of why I was delayed."

"Did you save the baby and his mother?"

He nodded, causing strands of Melody's hair to tickle his cheeks.

"I'm glad. My husband is the superman of the baby ward."

Richie smiled, tired creases forming at the corners of his sleep-deprived eyes. "What about you? Did you get your schedule revised?"

"Mmhmm. We'll have to compare later so we can work out some 'us time.'"

"Perfect."

They remained in that position for a few seconds before Ritchie wound an arm around Melody's waist and tugged her in for a kiss. When they finally pulled away for air, Ritchie said, "I'm also sorry for that ugly doll creature."

Melody managed to spare a glance over at the facedown thing. "I think you just made up for it."

"I think I know how I can make up for it more."

"By eating my home cooked meal?"

"Even better," Ritchie replied with a grin and Melody smirked, knowing that her homemade meal could be eaten later but moments like this these days were few and far in between with their hectic lives which made every second spent with her husband that much more precious.

*****Author's Note*****

Phew. That was MUCH longer than I had initially plotted but I really enjoyed writing the dialogue between the best friend pairs. I know it seems like the focus of the story is Gary/Serena right now but for those of you who are familiar with my style, you know I layer and that twists and turns and surprises are on the way as we slowly progress. ^^ I am really going to build up this story with just the right layers so that when the time comes, everything unfolds perfectly.

Or so that's the goal anyway. ^_^

Anyways, hope you enjoyed an appearance by each of our main characters! Please don't forget to review and let me know about the forum idea!!!

Hugs,

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Preview of Chapter 6**: I will post it on my profile once a good chunk is written and edited in a few days. ^_^

**Review Responses:**

_Death's Serenade_: Haha you're too sweet. And so right. Life is quite unfair but I'm getting along. Still missing the friendship I single-handedly ruined by oh well. Life goes on right? ^^ Ah I am so glad you think Dawn's characterization is okay. I was afraid I hadn't portrayed her right. Phew. As for that last conversation feeling ominous. You may be on the right path. You may not be. For all we know, her grandparents take a keen interest in her life. Anyways thanks again and I really appreciate your encouraging words! ^_^

_poka_: Lol yes I did update! And I've updated again! ^_^ I hope this chapter answered your question of what was bothering Gary! As for Dawn and her conversation, well let's just say we haven't seen the last of that. Dun dun dun. Haha.

_AzureKite4_: I'm glad you liked the Serena/Gary scene! More of that to come as you can probably tell from this chapter. You know honestly I don't know if places do tuxedo house calls but hey, I'm the author so why not? ^_^

_61wisampa_: Glad you laughed at the Serena/Gary scene! That seems to be a fav. I hope you liked this chapter too!

_Homo Genus_: I absolutely love that bit that you shared. I re-read it and am now in love with it. I mean…it's just perfect. The way it discusses movies versus books. It's something I always argue with people that books are better because words allow the freedom to imagine. I am going to print it into my journal. Thank you so much for sharing and I'm going to share it with others!

_BowlingStar08_: Thank you! I am happy to be back! I'm finding Gary to be a very complex individual who is really interesting to write. Last story he didn't play a significant part but this time, he's got a lot going on. As for Rocketing Innovations. I didn't leave much room for guesses on that one, huh? But you'll see what happens. ^_^

_Kyon-Is-Haruhi's-Slave00_: Haha yes. Yes I really did. Mainly because I do want to try and keep some of the "pokemon-world" in this fic and since there are no actual pokemon, the only way to do this is by keeping names of people and places and things similar. ^_^ Anyways, glad you liked the Serena/Gary scene and I shall certainly try my best to keep up with updates.

_licoricejellybean_: Thanks! I'm glad too. ^^ More Gary and Serena to come as we continue! Just not directly in this chapter. Which I hope you enjoyed!

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: Imma eat those stale cookies you throw at me. Cookies are cookies and one must not waste. Haha. Yes. Boys are the devil. (sorry boys!!!) Okay not really. I have several friends who are boys. They're just the devil when they sorta lead you on and crush you and don't even know it. Anyways moving on…I'm glad you liked the last chapter!...I made oatmeal cookies the other day. Love em!

s_hut up and read or go away_: Haha well I am glad for the email update reminders. Back in the day, before ffnet had those, we had to check for updates ourselves. Lol. As for this being an adventure story, I will give you that. I think I mentioned it in one of my A/N's in MTM but can't remember. Anyways, guaranteed adventure to come. Which will actually be my first time attempting it. Can't wait to write those chapters! ^_^

_Chika Hoshi_: Thank you and yes I am feeling way better! ^_^ Haha. No you're not being rude. As you can see from this chapter, Serena tried to be insulting but failed. She's still got that sort of innocence about her but tries to pretend she doesn't. As for Team Rocket and Rocketing Innovations, yeah I sorta was obvious about that one but you'll see what happens. Don't forget, we still have the Rocket Reporting Team too who may or may not show up! ^_^

_ShadowMario3_: Haha yup Serena still "hates" Gary. And if they are to get together…well clearly from this chapter you can see they are no where near couple status…and I definitely have plans for Dawn. Muhaha. ^_~

_RaveOn21_: Lol. I guess cause Team Rocket is evil in the show. BUT don't forget, our Rocket Reporting Team so far has not been evil, though they haven't made an actual physical appearance. Yet. ^_~ As for Giovanni, you shall see. If you might remember, he was fired in the Epilogue of MTM.

_Munchlax Jr_: Oh my…haha that was a long list of characters I don't really know about. Well May was mentioned in this chapter. As for whether she'll make an actual appearance, can't tell you! For the other characters, I did my research and I've noted them down previously but haven't completely decided how they could fit in. We'll see. ^_^ P.S. Why not Paul?

_merise_: Hearing that you happy danced in your head because of my update totally made my week. But I am sorry to hear about you giving up. It's for the best!!! Trust me. You'll go to university and have a blast!...Anyways, I'm glad that Dawn seems characterized properly. I was worried about. I've never watched any of the Sinnoh episodes. I'll have to watch one and look out for the sparklyness.

_Toph the Trickster_: Hello! I always enjoy your thorough reviews so thank you! It seems as though everyone's into Serena and Gary working out in the end. I'll tell you this, I've definitely got some fun stuff planned for those two. They're just great to write! As for the closing your eyes and counting to three…I suppose it's common. At least, I have seen it in novels I've read. Not works of classical literature mind you. Personally, I do the counting to three things sometimes to calm down. I don't always close my eyes though. ^^ You would be correct to assume that I definitely do plan to have independent stories all flow into one. Cliché way to put it would be rivers into an ocean. Haha. As you can see, Melody and Ritchie's problems have temporarily disappeared but as you know, I love to torture Ritchie and we have not seen the last of that! And yup, Dawn certainly does have more to her than we first get. ^_^ Thank you once again for your kind and helpful remarks! Always a pleasure to hear from you and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Ronmionex3_: Haha yeah Oak Tree just makes you giggle don't it? It's so silly. Glad you liked all the interaction previously and hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Black-Sakura27_: Lol. Gary and Serena are so much fun to write! I guess because they're the only ones in this fic that are not a couple, it's hard not to root for them…Ooh I hope your Uncle Gary is not like this Gary! ^^ And thank you for your kind words!!! Yes I've definitely seen some works that updated a few times per year but I really do want to try my best and not be like that. Still, thank you!

_bluejay511_: Thank you! Comebacks are fun and everyone's been so nice! ^^ Getting Gary and Serena together will be a long and difficult road, as you can probably tell from this chapter…You know, I never really made any sort of pact like that with my friends. It's funny though because all my best friends from college are like Serena and her friends whereas most of my best friends from high school definitely broke the pact if we had ever had one. Lol.

_Guibin_: Aww. I am rooting for you! You can get back into writing! ^^ Haha wow okay totally flattered that you skipped out on studying to read my fic despite the not studying anyway. Lol…. Oky so let me just tell you that in my group of friends, I am known as the naïve innocent one. Which I can't deny because yes, I'm just like that. Haha. So I don't want to know what you're thinking "Oak Tree" is insinuating. Lol. But I promise it is nothing M rated as you can see from Serena's explanation in this chapter. ^^ Anywho, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_s.a.e.i.a-e.u.c.a_: The Gary and Serena scene was certainly the winning one last chapter! Hope you liked this one! As for Dawn siding with Team Rocket…only way to find out is to stick around and keep reading! ^^

_Epicocity_: Thanks! Everyone seems to like the Gary/Serena scene from before. They're fun to write. ^^ Yup, Bulbapedia has certainly been a godsend for me for Pokemon character research, even the old school ones…Ooh wow someone else is going to use Melody/Ritchie? Do let me know which story as I'd certainly love to see your portrayal of them. ^_^

_GGDemios_: Hey Scorchtail! Glad to see you! Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: I'd say you got a pretty good grasp of the situation between Gary and Serena from last chapter. ^_^ Except that Gary doesn't know he loves Serena even though clearly we all know that…And doing one-shots are good too! They're not really my forte so I don't have many of those but I may attempt another one soon just for fun!

_dongaro_: You're welcome! ^^ And thank you for your kind review! Yes old school pokemon is awesome! I grew up with them too. Takes me back to middle school days. Heh. And you're right, update schedules are tough to keep. I think the only authors who make their deadlines are the ones who are in the real world getting paid and/or published for their work. ^_^ Anyways, thanks for the encouragement!


	6. Dinner Dates

*****Author's Note*****

So I watched my first episode of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. It was like watching a completely different show from the Pokemon I used to watch! Ash and Brock's voices are different, Team Rocket's slogan has changed and the only actual Pokémon I recognize is Pikachu but even he's got some new tail-slicing trick!

Anyways, just to let you all know, I am sort of not at home. As in, I am out of the country visiting family for the next two and a half months. Not that this means I won't update. Just that, because of where I am and because I have no idea which relative's house I'll be at week to week and if I'll have internet, the updates may not be as regular. But I will do my best!

Also, I have decided not to create a forum since I may not be able to keep up with it at the moment. But thank you all for your input!!!! ^_^

In the meantime, hopefully this chapter will keep you all satisfied for a while. It's pretty long, featuring all the characters with some fun conversations. ^_^ Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: The usual.

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 6: Dinner Dates

"Ash, where are you taking me?" Misty asked for about the eighth time in the past half hour.

Her fiancé sighed as he slowly pressed his foot on the brake pedal at a red light. "Can't you just shut up for five seconds and trust me?"

He glanced over at her when the light turned green before continuing driving as she tugged on the blindfold wrapped around her head. "Don't remove that!

"I know I know. But we'd better get to where we're going soon otherwise my eye makeup is going to be completely ruined," Misty replied. "Speaking of which, where are we going?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "You never give up, do you?"

"Never."

~*~

Todd watched as his wife doubled over on the side of a road behind a bush. She had dashed out as soon as he had pulled over to the emergency lane. While he might not be able to do anything to ease her pain, he wasn't just about to sit while she retched.

Despite the fact that the books on pregnancy Duplica had bought and forced him to read in the past week had given him heart-stopping nightmares, the information now came in handy. He opened the back door of their car and pulled out a small tote bag. From inside, he pulled out a towel and held it out as Duplica returned. She stumbled slightly just as she approached her husband and he quickly caught her.

"I told you not to wear such high heels," he commented, handing her the towel.

She wiped her mouth and said, "I'm a model. It's what we do."

Todd only rolled his eyes and pulled out a water bottle from the bag. "Use this to rinse."

She did as he suggested. But this was not the end to his supplies. After the water, came a few saltine crackers, ginger ale, and a mint just in case.

Once Todd had made sure Duplica had a little of each to soothe her stomach, he helped her back in the car where she looked down at her jacket. "Ugh. I hope this doesn't stain."

"It shouldn't. Here take that off and put on this one," Todd said, handing her another similar colored jacket he had produced from the backseat.

She complied and once Todd had made sure she was comfortable, he resumed his position behind the steering wheel.

"You are ridiculous, you know that," Duplica finally remarked once they had gotten back onto the highway.

"What?" Todd exclaimed, turning his head in surprise to look over at his wife.

She grabbed the steering wheel as he veered the car slightly to the right. "Eyes on the road."

"I made a pregnancy puke emergency kit for the road and all you can say is that I'm ridiculous?" Todd huffed as he turned his gaze back to the car in front of him.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until he heard a sound.

"Did you just snort?" he asked Duplica disbelievingly. So far in the years that they had known one another, he had never heard her snort.

The snort transformed into little chuckles and finally evolved into full-fledged hearty laughs. Todd briefly wondered if he should pull over to the exit they were about to come to that indicated the hospital was in that direction.

"Aw honey," Duplica said between laughs. "You are so cute."

He heard her shuffle slightly before he felt a soft hand upon his cheek. "I hope our baby has my sense of humor."

"Mmhmm," Todd replied, wanting to say that he was praying for the exact opposite. But his wife was in a good mood and he did not want to spoil that. Crazy happy Duplica was better than the crazy crying ranting Duplica he had dealt with right before they left.

Thank goodness, Todd thought as he spotted their exit and signaled to get into the turning lane. Just as he was easing the car in front of a giant truck, Duplica said, "You know, it's odd. I've been having a weird craving all day and I couldn't figure out what it was for."

"Mmhmm," Todd repeated, slowing as they entered the curving exit ramp.

"And I've finally figured out what it is."

"Yes?" Todd prodded unwillingly, fearing the worst.

They exited off onto a main road in Pewter City.

"Do you think the restaurant we're going to has shrimp tacos?"

"Duplica…we're going to a fancy French restaurant."

"So no shrimp tacos, huh."

Did anyone even make such a thing? Todd wondered as they came to a red light. A hand rested on his arm.

"Looks like we might have to make a stop before dinner."

He looked over at the beautiful woman beside him whose eyes reflected the lights from outside. But they also reflected her burning desire for the odd request and he knew right then that he would be learning how to make a lot of new and crazy and disgusting foods in the coming months.

~*~

"The reservations are for six! We are supposed to be there at six. It is now past six!" Melody exclaimed loudly as she pointed to the car clock which blinked back 6:01.

Ritchie groaned as his singer wife's shrill voice reverberated against his eardrums.

"And whose fault is that? I'm not the one who couldn't decide what _purse_ matched with the right _shoes_," he said, voice full of a deep loathing towards the aforementioned items. He had spent a lot of time around females during his life yet the necessity and importance of the shoes and purse to match still failed to make a positive impression on him.

As far he was concerned, purses and shoes were probably the cause of several breakups around the world.

"I don't mean to be vain but I'm considered a celebrity and I cannot be seen going into a five-star French restaurant without the perfect matching outfit," Melody said.

"I thought you didn't care what people thought of you."

"I -," Melody paused for a second before continuing. "Well I don't. But still."

Ritchie couldn't help but smile smugly to himself in the dark car at her response. Angry as he was at her for causing them to be late for such an important dinner, he couldn't help but think that his wife's defensive attitude was alluringly cute. But she had won too many times and he was not about to let this one go, otherwise they'd be late to everything for the rest of their lives because of purses and shoes.

"You know, you probably have more outfits than all the girls combined so you have more to go through. Why couldn't you just have picked everything out earlier like I told you to?"

Silence.

Yes, I've done it! Ritchie cheered to himself but his triumph was short-lived.

"Oh I see. You're just upset because I didn't do what you told me to. Not because we're late."

"Which again, is because of you."

"Well I'm not the one who came home late," Melody pointed out.

Ritchie raised an eyebrow and took one hand off the steering wheel to point to himself. "Hello. Baby doctor."

"Hello. Dinner reservation for a surprise party."

"I still got ready before you even put on your dress."

"I –" Melody began then gave up and instead took to crossing her arms and facing the window. Ritchie glanced over to see her annoyed reflection against the glass. He turned his attention back to the road before them and smirked.

~*~

Gary adjusted his tie once more before stepping aside to let the woman beside him use the ornately framed mirror hanging on the wall. But she did not make a move to primp. In fact, she stood glaring at him with her arms crossed so tight that Gary wondered if she'd be able to uncross them later.

"I cannot believe you just showed up like that!" Serena hissed, dark eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

"I told you I would."

"No. You had jokingly mentioned it two weeks ago when Ash originally told us the plan. But to actually do it! You have some nerve Oak. Some nerve."

Gary merely shrugged and reclaimed his position in front of the mirror. They were standing in the entrance hall of the French restaurant that they were meeting all their friends for dinner. Both Gary and Serena's dates, sensing the growing fury from Serena, had briefly excused themselves and rushed to the restrooms as soon as they had entered the building.

"I wanted to spend some time alone with Danny before this group thing," Serena continued as Gary tilted his head, wondering if his hair wasn't parted oddly. "I haven't seen him in weeks! You had no right to bust in and suggest we carpool!"

"That's his problem if he didn't want to see you before now. Besides, we saved trees. I thought you were all about that, being a teacher and all."

"Being a teacher and saving trees are completely unrelated to this situation! And Danny is a very busy model. I was lucky that he even offered to be my date thank you very much."

"What an honor," Gary muttered. He fixed a few strands of hair that had become misplaced. If that Danny couldn't make time to see her after a few phone calls and brief messages, then he clearly did not deserve to date Serena. But the heavens would crash down before Gary admitted that tonight. The air was tense already and he needed Serena to be clear-minded for her mission.

Finally Gary turned to face the seething woman before him and was briefly torn between a desire to run to the opposite side of town in fear and a desire to clutch his stomach and laugh to his heart's content. Wisely, he opted for the middle ground which was civil conversation.

"Hey if you couldn't handle it, then you shouldn't have agreed to be my love coach."

"Excuse me?"

"That's right." Gary quickly looked around to make sure no one was within earshot of them before continuing. "You're supposed to rate my dates and figure them out. How can you do that if you don't spend some time with them?"

Serena's eyes almost popped out at Gary's explanation. "_What_? Are you crazy?"

"Of course not and look here come our dates," he replied, giving Serena no chance for rebuttal which suited him just fine. Gary smirked down at the short woman who was doing her best to rearrange the anger on her face into false cheerfulness which only made Gary's smirk widened. But as Danny Navel and Lorelei Prima approached, he expertly turned his smirk into a serene smile and held out his arm to his date.

~*~

Thirty-year old Brock Takeshi glanced down at his phone which read HERE.

"What is it?" his wife, twenty-eight year old Joy asked him, leaning over. When she caught a glimpse of the word and the sender, an excited smile broke out on her face. "Oh!"

"Yes. Oh," Brock replied, slipping his phone into his pants pocket.

He looked out around the private room their party had been given for the dinner. Some of his friends were already seated at the long banquet-style table while others stood in small groups chatting and catching up with one another. Now came the second fun part: shutting them all up. The first fun part had been difficult enough: getting them all here on time.

Brock stood up and cleared his throat. "Ahem."

No one looked at him, not even his wife who had resumed her conversation with Ritchie about the lack of respect some doctors had for nurses to which Ritchie was shaking his head in disappointment.

"People," Brock tried again and this time Duplica looked up but only to say, "Really Brock, it isn't polite to get the waiter's attention by saying 'People!'"

Brock groaned, wondering how these "people" had gotten through organizing so many weddings but could not function for two seconds to be quiet for a surprise party.

~*~

Misty's left hand flew to cover her open mouth, the diamond on her ring sparkling against the lights as she stared wordlessly at the faces grinning and laughing back at her.

"Aw don't go and cry Mist," Serena said coming over to give her a hug, Danny behind her.

"How? Why?"

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Ash answered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Misty glanced around. "You mean…you all gave up your Valentine's Day…for this? For me?"

Duplica came over from her spot and took hold of Misty's hand, patting it affectionately. "For all of us. Ash mentioned that you'd been a bit sad that we hadn't all seen each other since Ritchie and Melody's wedding so he put this whole thing together."

Misty looked to the newly married couple. "You gave up your first Valentine's Day as a married couple!"

Melody waved a hand and smiled. "There'll be other V-days."

"Don't think you can get rid of us that easily Mist," Ritchie said with a grin as he came up to hug her.

"If only it were that easy."

"Brock! Joy!"

They exchanged hugs and Misty wondered about their four-year old daughter May.

"Babysitter. Let us know when you're ready and we'll give you our list of sitter names," Joy replied.

Todd and Duplica exchanged quick glances while Misty blushed and Ash chuckled nervously. "We've got a while before that happens."

"Say cheese!"

"Todd's a cheese!"

"Hey!"

"Are you going to include this in the wedding album?" Misty asked.

Todd shrugged. "Only if you want me to. The pre-wedding parties!"

"Sounds good to me. Oh my goodness Ash. I wasn't aware you were capable of planning something like this!" Misty said, finally turning to her fiancé.

Ash smirked. "There's still a lot you're not aware about me."

"Ooh la la!" Serena sang out childishly causing everyone to laugh.

"Quite the romantic guy you've got here," Gary commented, standing behind Ash and trying to mess up his hair. Ash was about to shove him back when he noticed the woman standing beside Gary.

"Um. Hello," Ash managed to get out after a second.

"Oh. Right. Ash, Misty" – Misty turned to face Gary upon hearing her name – "I'd like you to meet Lorelei Prima."

"Hello."

Misty tried not to elbow Ash in the side at his obvious staring and instead politely returned the other woman's wistful smile. "Nice to meet you Lorelei."

"Likewise."

"Um. What do you do Miss Prima?" Ash asked, taking a step towards her.

As Lorelei began to explain, Misty excused herself and went to stand with the other women who had migrated towards the drink table. The men, aside from Ash and Gary, had taken their seats and were discussing some sport that Misty couldn't be interested in enough to join.

"So I see you've met Miss Busty," Serena observed.

Duplica gently swatted Serena on the shoulder while Melody let out a laugh. "Rena!"

"Sorry sorry. Can't help it. But I mean…look at her. She's practically bursting out of that tiny dress and all those idiots can do is pretend to have conversations about sports when they're really sneaking glances."

Melody stopped laughing. "What?"

"You mean you haven't noticed?"

Misty raised an eyebrow. "C'mon Rena. Those guys are all married with the exception of Danny, Gary, and Ash. And Ash is soon-to-be-married."

"W.E.S."

"What is that? A disease?"

"Might as well be. W.E.S. Wandering Eyes Syndrome doesn't care about the marital stature of a man Mist," Serena explained as thought she were describing a serious ailment.

"Ritchie is not like that!"

"Neither is Todd."

All eyes turned to Joy who sighed.

"Still?" Misty said incredulously.

"Only sometimes," Joy responded, glancing over at Brock. "He was born with W.E.S. Luckily his "drooling mouth syndrome" and "asking-girls-out syndrome" are gone."

"So how do you deal with his Wes?" Duplica asked.

"It's W.E.S. Not Wes. That's a person."

"Clearly you spend too much time with children."

Joy grinned. "Who says women can't be afflicted with Wandering Eyes Syndrome?"

"Joy!"

The women laughed then Serena said, "Seriously though, just watch them over there."

"What do you mean?" Melody asked.

"For someone in the entertainment business…nevermind. Just watch the guys for a few seconds and you'll see what I mean."

Misty turned so the men were in her line of sight. Ash and Gary were still talking to Lorelei and Misty had to at least be proud of Ash for keeping his gaze trained on the woman's face and not where she was, as Serena had so brusquely put it, "bursting out." She looked towards the other men. Brock and Ritchie appeared to be having an argument about whose team would be winning in the semi-finals of some sport while Danny and Todd discussed photo techniques. She didn't see anything wrong with – Oh. There we go.

She had to look closely but she could definitely see that in between the conversations, the men's eyes would roll over towards where Gary's date was standing then focus back to the person across from them.

"Wow."

"Oh my."

"I can't believe it!"

"I told you so."

The women looked to Serena who was now pouring herself a glass of wine. "Can't be helped, though can it? Even we're looking."

"That's because there doesn't appear to be anywhere else to look," Duplica commented.

Serena chugged down her wine and poured a second glass. "In any case, I just wanted to make a point."

"Which was?" Misty asked, watching her friend take down the second glass.

"Um. That males like to...to interfere."

"Interfere?"

"With…dates."

Misty turned to Joy. "What is she talking about?"

"Just to let you know, that's not her second glass."

"Oh."

Melody leaned over to whisper to Misty while Duplica tried to pry away the wine bottle from Serena's hands, declining the offer to have a glass. "Gary interrupted her alone time with Danny and now he's brought Miss Busty as his date. You do the math."

Misty did and wondered what to say when Serena exclaimed. "No way!"

"What?"

Serena was staring at Duplica whose face was turning red, but in a way that suddenly made her appear as though she were glowing. Serena gently laid a hand on Duplica's abdomen and Misty's eyes widened.

Immediately Misty, Melody, Serena and Joy began to talk simultaneously. Joy went on about what a delight children were and how it was so wonderful to have your own while Melody said she would write a song and dedicate it to the baby. Serena and Misty congratulated her then started fighting over whose right it was to throw the baby shower.

The sudden commotion and excitement near the drinks worried the men slightly. Ash finally paused in his conversation with Lorelei about her research to look over at the chattering women.

"What is going on?" he wondered aloud.

Gary shrugged. "I bet Little Maria's done something stupid."

"Little Maria?" Lorelei repeated.

But Gary didn't answer as he stepped around his date and walked over to the women. Ash smiled apologetically at Lorelei and followed him.

"-baby book!" Melody was saying.

"What about a baby book now?" Gary asked coming up behind Serena and putting his elbows on her shoulders to lean over her head.

She shoved him off and exclaimed, "Duplica and Todd are having a baby! Drinks all around! Well, except the baby mama."

Gary's eyes went wide and Ash's mouth fell open.

"Really?"

"A baby?"

"Duplica!" Todd came over, cheeks red, but before he could say another word to his wife, the men surrounded him. Brock thumped him on the back and told him that changing diapers was not fun, Danny congratulated him and said this baby was probably going to be the most photographed in the world while Ritchie simply grinned and said he hoped the baby was ready for crazy aunties. Ash wondered if any of them had to throw Todd a baby shower which led to Gary flicking him behind the ear and calling him a moron.

Lorelei had decided to join the group of women and as she extended her own congratulatory words to Duplica, Misty noticed that Serena was staring at Lorelei with an odd expression on her face. But before she could take her friend to the side and ask if it was about her being Gary's love coach, Ash clapped his hands loudly.

Everyone stopped talking about babies and turned to stare at him.

"We are not in kindergarten Ash," Brock remarked.

"Hey, that's what I told you when you clapped at us!" Ritchie said.

"When I say 'we' I'm referring to me and my wife. The rest of you are worse than kindergartners when it comes to getting your attention!"

"Can you two children shut up so Ash can do his thing and we can get on with our Valentine's Day Dinner?" Melody said raising an eyebrow.

They quieted. Ash looked around and quickly grabbed an empty champagne glass. "I propose a toast."

"We sort of need our toasts to toast with," Gary pointed out.

"I'll play bartender!" Serena called out, grabbing her trusty bottle of wine then switching it for the champagne.

As she walked around filling everyone's glasses, Misty turned to her friends. "You all are really ridiculous."

"You know, I told Todd that earlier and he got offended."

"Why?"

"Tell her she's the ridiculous one," Todd said from behind them.

Misty looked at him with a gaze that prompted him to continue.

"She wanted a shrimp taco. When we were five minutes away. Five minutes!"

Duplica shrugged and accepted the glass of sparkling cider Serena poured for her.

"I was hungry."

"That, my dear, is not hunger," Joy said. "That would be a craving."

"Did you have them?"

"Are you kidding me? She had cravings for the most outlandish things!" Brock commented.

"Oh it was not that bad."

Brock looked at everyone. "One month, all she wanted was fried foods. Anything that was fried was fine. I could have fried up a plastic fork and she'd have eaten it."

Joy glanced up at her husband and raised an eyebrow. "Did you feed me a fried plastic fork?"

"It was tempting sometimes."

Everyone laughed as Joy promptly punched Brock in the shoulder when Ash clapped again. They faced him.

"You really need to find another attention-getter," Serena said.

Ash glanced over at her, clutching the almost-empty champagne bottle in one hand and her own full-to-the-brim glass in the other. "And you really need to lay off the alcohol."

Gary nudged Danny. "You're dating an alcoholic bartender who's also a high school teacher."

Danny sidled up to Serena and draped an arm around her to everyone's surprise and, Misty was delighted to see, Gary's shock. "Drunk teacher, huh? I think I can live with that."

"Oh my," Melody whispered with a tiny grin from Misty's side.

Serena's own reaction was to suddenly go mute and still as though she were a statue that Danny was standing by rather than a woman. Misty shook her head in exasperation. That girl.

"Is everyone done with their side conversations now?" Ash finally said, elbowing Gary whom he could tell was about to go further with the 'drunk teacher' comment. Gary rubbed his side and glared but Ash continued, "Okay good. So as I was saying. I'd like to propose a toast to our dear friends Todd and Duplica." He raised his glass and everyone followed suit while the mentioned pair blushed.

"You two are going to make great parents and Danny's right. Your child really is going to be the most photographed in the world."

"Oh you have no idea," Duplica commented then upon seeing the confused glances said, "I'll tell you later."

"Anyways, congratulations you two."

"Congratulations!" everyone echoed and clinked glasses.

~*~

Ash let his gaze wander around their private party room and felt a strong urge to pat himself on the back. All his and Misty's friends were sitting around the long banquet table enjoying the delicious food, chatting with one another, and generally having a good time, at least, he hoped that was the case judging from the smiles on their faces.

His eyes fell on Gary and his date and he prayed to every deity he could think of that this woman was not the one for Gary. Sure she had knockout body and it took all of Ash's self-restraint to not ogle they way Brock used to in high school. But the woman had an odd dreamy expression permanently plastered to her face. It was as though she was living in this world but her mind was floating along some parallel wistful universe.

It didn't help that she was some sort of philosopher and kept trying to explain the ways of the world in terms no one except maybe Todd (to some degree) understood. Ash just could not see Gary with a philosopher-type no matter how good she looked in a dress.

"See something you like?" Misty whispered from his side, leaning in.

"What?"

She subtly pointed down the table towards Lorelei and Gary, the latter of whom was telling some story to Danny about Serena while the topic of conversation rebutted with her own Gary story.

"I was just thinking."

"Uh huh."

"I promise! You think I'd actually eyeball my best friend's date while my fiancé sits beside me at our Valentine's Day dinner with our best friends?"

"You have gotten way too smooth with your words lately," Misty commented with a small smile as she lifted her fork to her mouth, a slice of veal speared through it.

"I am a businessman."

"So, what were you thinking about exactly while you were not staring at Gary's date?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Really I wasn't staring at her. And I was just thinking that…," Ash paused suddenly, remembering that he wasn't supposed to tell Misty about Professor Oak's ultimatum for Gary. "I was just wondering if Gary was going to settle down anytime soon."

"You think Miss Bu-Miss Prima is the one?"

"Do you?"

Misty glanced down the table then looked back at Ash, lowering her voice further. "I didn't tell you about Gary's 'love coach' did I?"

"His what?"

"Ssh. Not so loud. His love coach." Misty made sure their friends near them were preoccupied with their own conversations before continuing. "He's asked Serena to be his love coach. Essentially, she has to determine whether the women Gary dates are good enough for him and help him find 'the one,'" Misty explained.

Ash's eyes went wide and his initial desire was to leap over the table and punch Gary in the nose. He told Misty so.

"I didn't realize you'd object _that_ strongly."

"No. It's not that. It's, well, Serena's become like a sister to me," Ash finally said. If only he hadn't promised Gary not to tell. He thought he was the dumb one between the two but this decision to make Serena his love coach so he could meet his grandfather's ultimatum was unacceptable. Ash could not believe Gary would be so oblivious.

"Did Serena agree?" Ash asked.

Misty nodded. "I don't know what to do with those two."

"Just leave them be for now. I'll…I'll have a talk with Gary."

"You know she hasn't admitted to anything."

"Of course not. Knowing her, she'd rather jump off a building headfirst into a pool full of bloodthirsty sharks."

"Unfortunately."

"Hey, what are you two whispering about over there? I thought this was supposed to be a family dinner!" Brock called out from a few seats down.

"Yeah no secrets!" Melody said wagging her finger.

Ash laughed. "Just discussing some things."

"Such as?"

"Just how nice it is to be with everyone again," Misty replied effortlessly.

Ritchie lifted her glass and tapped a fork against the side. "Here here!"

"Oh!"

All eyes turned towards Serena.

"What's wrong?" Joy asked.

"Nothing's wrong. I just remembered that I wanted to remind you all about the fundraising dinner for my school."

Todd dabbed his mouth with his cloth napkin. "When is that again?"

"Beginning of April. I'll send you a reminder email."

"Ritchie and I still have to purchase our ticket," Melody said.

"What is this fundraising dinner?" Lorelei asked.

Serena explained that Cascade Academy had an annual fundraising dinner and auction held at a hotel in Cerulean.

"Isn't it being held at one of the Oak-owned hotels?" Duplica asked.

"Is it?" Gary asked turning towards Serena.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. How could you forget? The fundraising committee put me in charge of a lot of this event because they thought I could use my connections to benefit the school."

"So now I'm a connection?"

"What else?"

Ash sensed a possible scene so he quickly interrupted by asking what was going to be sold at the auction and if students would be in attendance.

"Oh you know, things like oriental and Persian rugs, jewelry, gift certificates for cruises, baskets filled with goodies, that kind of thing. Students are allowed but only if they purchase a ticket. Last year not many of them attended but I think because this year it's at an Oak hotel, a lot are coming."

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Are they coming in hopes of meeting The Gary Oak?"

Gary smirked. "Really?" He adjusted his tie. "Am I that popular?"

Serena sighed in defeat. "Only God knows why."

"Hey, for the basket auction, is it just the baskets or is it that thing some schools do where you're really auctioning on the person who created the basket?" Melody asked.

"You know, I bet that would get a lot more money!" Duplica added.

Serena pressed her lips together. "Um. I hope that's not the case."

"Why?" Brock asked.

Before Serena could respond, Gary started chuckling. "Because she's one of the people making the baskets!"

"So you'd be auctioned off?" Joy asked.

"But, I don't think that's what's happening. It better not be!"

"Are you afraid no one will purchase you?" Danny asked with a grin as he tugged a strand of her hair playfully.

Serena blushed but answered resolutely. "It's the principle of the matter. I have no interest of being put up on the auction block for stupid men."

"Watch it now," Ash said jokingly. "Those stupid men are the ones who are paying customers. You have to be sure to satisfy them."

"Shut up Ash."

"And just a moment ago, I was feeling so brotherly towards you."

"Huh?"

Misty interjected, "Anyways, Ash and I will be there Rena. As for other news, girls, I have a wedding coordinator!"

Misty continued to talk about Dawn and told her bridesmaids that they had a date set to meet with a dress shop. "Can you all make it?"

"Oh you're getting married?" Lorelei spoke up before the other women could say a word.

Everyone turned to look at her and Ash could not help but wonder where the woman's mind had been the whole time. Hadn't he mentioned the engagement during their previous conversation? And if not, Gary should've at least told his date about the friends she was going to meet.

Serena replied for Misty. "Yes she and Ash are getting married later this year."

"Oh how wonderful! Congratulations to you both!"

"Thank you," the couple said in unison.

"I don't mean to be rude, but, didn't Gary mention it to you earlier?"

Lorelei gave her small wistful smile and adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "No. We didn't really spend much time talking before going to pick you up."

"Ah. I see," Serena responded flatly before turning her gaze back to Misty. "I can make it."

Misty nodded. Duplica said she might be able to while Melody and Joy both said that their schedules were packed for the next few weeks.

"This one's so busy with being a star that she barely has time for her own husband!" Ritchie said nodding his head towards Melody who put down the glass she had just taken a sip from.

"Pfft. Mr. Baby Doctor over here is the one who's too busy for his own wife even after she comes home and makes a nice meal."

"Hey now, I made up for that!"

"Yeah well. Women tend to hold on to things."

Ritchie rolled his eyes. "You're telling me."

Joy shot Melody a sympathetic look. "It'll be difficult for little while with adjusting to each other's schedules, especially because you're both so busy."

"But don't worry, it'll work out," Duplica said.

"Advice from the matrons, huh?" Misty commented. "Anything for me?"

Joy, Duplica, and Melody took turns looking at one another, smirked, then simultaneously said to Misty, "Don't get married!"

~*~

It was almost eleven pm and everyone was finally ready to leave, even though it was a Saturday evening. Ritchie had to be at the hospital in the morning while Melody mentioned that she wanted to sleep in just once before her tour started up again. Joy and Brock didn't want to leave May with the babysitter until midnight while Duplica, even after eating such rich French food, began to crave watermelon.

Todd looked to Brock. "Any grocery stores open this late?"

"The one that you see right off the highway is open till midnight. But um," he looked nervously towards Duplica. "It's not really watermelon season."

The pregnant woman frowned and Brock quickly said, "Or I could be wrong! I mean, what do I know? I'm only a nutritionist!"

"And a chef," Ritchie added.

Joy patted Todd on the shoulder. "You may not find a whole watermelon but they do have pieces in little plastic containers."

"Thank you."

Ash thanked the group for coming and Serena suggested one last glass of whatever was left to close the event to which everyone agreed while warily looking at the slightly swaying teacher. Misty sidled up to stand between Gary and Danny while Serena made her bartender rounds.

She tapped Danny and said, "Are you taking her home?"

"Actually, I am," Gary said.

"Technically you are only because we carpooled," Danny responded.

"Which means I am taking her home."

"Yes but you will be dropping us off at her place and I will be escorting her up directly."

"And do you plan to leave directly?"

Misty bit her bottom lip as she listened to the two men exchange words above her head and didn't know whether to laugh at Gary's stubbornness or admire Danny's possessiveness.

"Drink?" Serena asked holding out a bottle to the three of them before either man could continue.

They accepted and Serena moved on giving Misty the opportunity to say what was on her mind. "Listen you two. I know that Serena is a grown woman but clearly, she has had a little too much tonight. I would appreciate it if one of you, I don't care who, but someone, takes her directly home and leaves directly. Are we clear?"

They looked down at her in surprise as though she had appeared out of thin air.

"I promise that no harm will come to your friend," Danny responded. "My only intention is to make sure she gets home safely. I know she has a lot of work to do tomorrow in preparation for the fundraising event."

Misty nodded with a smile. "Thank you. Gary," she turned to him. "Be good."

"Right," Gary responded, looking not at her but at Danny with narrowed, critical eyes.

~*~

Serena's head throbbed terribly.

"Ugh," she groaned and sat up, pushing away stands of hair from in front of her eyes. The first thing she realized was that she was not in her bed but that she was, in fact, slouched on a leather seat. A leather car seat to be exact.

The second thing she noticed was that the driver was humming to himself as he kept his eyes trained on the road, fingers tapping the steering wheel as though nothing were amiss.

Serena straightened and turned to look at the back seat. No Lorelei. No Danny. She peered out the window and saw a sign flash by on the highway which read Cerulean City 40 miles.

"What the hell Gary?"

"Good morning sunshine."

"It's not…it's still…" Serena rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. "It's five AM!?"

Gary whistled.

"Gary," Serena said slowly, clutching the strap of her seat belt to prevent herself from wrapping those hands around his neck. "Stop whistling and tell me what we are doing forty miles outside of Cerulean when Pewter is only twenty miles away?"

"Hm. I wonder."

Serena rubbed her forehead, praying for this situation to be only a dream but knowing that sadly, this was, in fact, her twisted reality. "Where is Danny?"

"Who?"

Serena gritted her teeth. "Danny Navel. The famous model. My _date_."

"Oh yes. I dropped him off."

"Where? On the side of the road?" she said scathingly, not putting it past this man to do such a thing.

"In Pallet."

"What?"

Gary nodded. "He took a train to Cerulean to see you right?"

"Yes."

"Well I offered to drop him off in Pallet."

"He doesn't live in Pallet. You do."

"Yes but that's where he was going to go. He has a shoot there on Monday."

"I see. And why did you not drop me off at home first?"

"You fell asleep. I can understand why Danny took up my offer so quickly. Your sleeping face with the drooling and snoring is not very attractive."

"I do not snore!" Serena cried out then swiped a hand across her mouth, which was dry. "Or drool."

"Could've fooled me."

"And where is Miss Lorelei Prima?"

"I dropped her off too."

"My my. Aren't you the gracious chauffeur. Which town was that?"

"Lavender Town."

"Lavender Town?" Serena repeated incredulously. Her sister lived there! "That's a good three hours from Cerulean and two from Pallet!"

Gary turned the knob on the radio and a commercial for a truck stop filled the car. "Yup."

Serena reached over and lowered the volume. "Who did you drop off first?"

"What?"

"Who did you drop off first?" Serena repeated. "Your date or mine?"

"Oh. Mine."

"I see."

"Did Danny give you any message for me?"

"You can ask him that yourself."

"Hm."

"Do you want me to rate your date now or later?"

Gary made a popping noise with his mouth before saying, "I think we can forget about her."

Serena shifted in her seat so she was sitting slightly sideways to face Gary. "Why is that? I haven't said anything as a love coach yet."

Gary shrugged. "I don't really think she's my type."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What's the point of me being your love coach if you go ahead and make decisions without me?"

"Sorry for robbing you of your glory," Gary said in a voice that told Serena he was probably rolling his eyes. "Next time I'll let you give me a full analysis."

"That's all I ask."

"So do you have any more questions?"

"Nope."

"Good. Then go back to sleep. We have a while to go so use that if you're cold. It fell off," Gary said, pointing towards her feet.

Serena leaned over and picked up Gary's coat. She turned to face the window and couldn't help grinning to herself as she slipped her arms into the too-large sleeves backwards and wrapped the coat around her front.

Maybe just this one she'd let him off easily.

~*~

Duplica moaned in delight as she sucked on the juices in the watermelon cube she had in her mouth. So sweet and so cool. She was happy. Her baby was happy. Todd, however, was a different story.

"Are you satisfied?" Todd asked wearily from the driver's seat as they pulled away from the grocery store parking lot.

She nodded, pulling out another cube from the plastic container. "F'anks."

"No more cravings tonight. Please."

Duplica wiped her fingers on a napkin. "I'll try not to. But um, can I make that promise for tomorrow night?"

Todd sighed. "What now?"

"Nothing much. Just some ice cream."

"What flavor?"

Duplica didn't say anything for a moment.

"Duplica," Todd said, a slight warning tone in his voice.

"Um. Vanilla. Vanilla's fine."

Todd sighed in relief. "We have that at home."

"Oh do we?" Duplica asked innocently. "Perfect!"

"Very perfect. Especially since the grocery store back home will be closed by the time we get there."

"Todd?"

"Hm?"

"If I had said I wanted all the flavors, would you have gotten them?"

Todd said nothing. Then, "Is that what you want?"

"No no. Just, um…wondering."

"Duplica, if that is what you wanted, then yes, I would have gotten it."

"I see."

"What's wrong now?"

"Nothing! Just...just…" Duplica laid a hand across her stomach. "I love you Todd. Happy Valentine's Day."

Todd glanced over and took his right hand off the steering wheel to intertwine it with Duplica's. "I love you too."

Duplica smiled into the darkness. True, she wanted all the flavors of ice cream she could think of but for now, she could fight those cravings so as not to make her husband go on any more crazy grocery trips. Tomorrow after he'd left for work, she'd go shopping on her own. It would be for the best.

For now anyway.

~*~

Melody was on stage clutching a mic and staring into the darkness. She couldn't see her audience, only the bright stage lights directed upon her and she couldn't hear them yet she could feel their presence.

She licked her lips, knowing that any second now, the music would start. But instead, she heard a distant crying noise. It got louder and louder until she could identify it as the shrieks of a baby. What on earth was someone doing bringing a baby to her concert?

Melody tried to shield her eyes against the lights to attempt to identify where the baby was when suddenly the howling was right beside her ears.

She turned in surprise to see Ritchie wearing a suit. In one hand, he held a screaming baby wrapped up in a towel, in the other, a rose.

"Melody, what's wrong? Melody? Melody? Melody. Melody!"

"Ah!"

Melody swung her hand only to realize that her fingers were not wrapped around a mic but instead Ritchie's wrist. She blinked into the darkness of their bedroom then released him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning to face her husband who was sitting up staring at her.

"I should be asking you that! I was just about to fall asleep when you suddenly grabbed my arm and wouldn't let go. Your nails were digging into me."

Ritchie turned on the table lamp beside him. He examined his arm and his eyes widened. "Look at this," he said, thrusting his arm towards Melody.

There were long red lines on Ritchie's arm, as though he had been scratched by a cat.

"What on earth were you dreaming about? Killing me?"

Melody fell back against her pillows and let out a dry laugh. "I…I don't really know."

Ritchie propped himself against the headboard and ran a hand through his hair. "Was it a nightmare?"

"No. Not…well maybe. I don't know. I...don't remember," Melody lied.

"You don't remember?"

"No. I forgot it as soon as I woke up but it didn't feel scary." Melody forced a laugh. "Don't worry so much! Dreams come and go all the time."

"Well that was some dream to have injured your husband."

"Oh yeah," Melody ran a slender finger along the red marks. "Sorry about that." She pulled his arm towards her and kissed the spot. "Better?"

Ritchie rolled his eyes. "I'd feel better if I knew I was safe from your crazy attack dreams but yes, that helped."

"Good. Now turn of the light and lets go back to sleep. You have an early morning."

Ritchie nodded and turned off the light. She felt him fix his pillows then lean over her. He brushed a quick kiss on her nose.

"Damn."

"What?"

"I missed your mouth."

This time Melody let out a genuine laugh. "Then try again."

He did and this time his aim was true. After a few minutes, Melody took a deep breath as Ritchie lay back against his own pillows. One hand was still tangled in her hair. "I hope you're not too upset that we shared our Valentine's Day with everyone."

"What? No never!" Melody exclaimed, turning to face him in the darkness. "I love being with our friends!"

"Okay. Good. I mean, not that I didn't want to be alone with you since we're both so busy but I just wanted to make sure you enjoyed everything."

Melody smiled and ran a hand along Ritchie's cheek. "Honey, of course I did." This time she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"You missed."

"No I didn't."

"Aw."

"Go to sleep. I don't want angry mothers at my throat tomorrow because the resident didn't show up to help deliver their babies."

"Fine."

Ritchie took his fingers out of Melody's hair and instead wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "Good night."

~*~

Misty stretched out a hand, blindly letting her fingers travel on the surface of her night table in search of her ringing cell phone. She felt cool plastic, then ran her thumb along the buttons until she identified the correct one and pressed it.

As she put the phone to her ear, she slithered back underneath the covers. "Hello?"

"Happy Valentine's Day."

"Ash, that was yesterday."

"And yesterday was only two hours ago. How did you fall asleep so quickly?"

"I was tired. And tomorrow I'm meeting Dawn in Viridian for a meeting remember?"

Misty yawned as Ash said, "Did you have fun tonight?"

"I did."

"And do you love me?"

"I do."

"And are you ready to be Mrs. Ash Ketchum?"

"I am."

"And will you not be mad at me if I tell you that I sort of have to leave the country tomorrow?"

"I – what!?"

Misty threw the covers off and sat up. She stared at the phone in disbelief as though it were Ash himself.

"Mist? Misty you there?" she could hear him saying.

"Ash Ketchum, you explain yourself this instant."

Ash sighed. "Just to warn you, I am still driving home so no sudden shrieking."

"That's your fault. I told you to spend the night here."

"Too tempting tonight," Ash replied causing Misty to roll her eyes. "And you're so determined to keep true to your little high school pact."

"Don't change the subject. What's this about leaving the country tomorrow? How long have you known? Where are you going and for how long? Is this for work? Why – "

"Whoa Misty!" Ash interrupted the rapid rush of questions. "Chill out!"

Misty raised an eyebrow even though she knew Ash couldn't see. "I will once you give me details."

"I just found out while I was driving home. Gary called me and said he needed me to cover for him. We have a huge business deal in the works with a private investor in Spain."

"Spain? You're going to Spain?" Misty's mouth all but dropped open. She had always wanted to visit Spain. "Can I – "

"No."

Misty frowned. "You could at least let me finish my sentence."

Ash let out a laugh. "I'm sorry Mist. Look, you know I would love nothing more than to take you with me but I can't. This is very last minute and there is so much to do. Plus, you sort of have wedding things and work."

"Speaking of which, exactly how long do you plan to be gone?"

Silence came through from the other end of the line.

"How long Ash?" Misty reiterated more firmly this time.

"One month."

"One month!?"

"Maybe two."

"Two months!?"

"Can you stop repeating everything?"

"Two months Ash? Are you serious? You are supposed to get your tuxedo fitted. We have to meet with caterers and decorators and the florist and baker!"

"Misty! Breathe!"

She did, but her breath came out very ragged. The thought of not seeing Ash for two months was more heart-stopping than the idea of him not being able to help her in wedding planning. She already knew that he was useless when it came to the latter and she'd come to accept that. He was a man afterall and it really would be cruel to make him sit through a meeting while picking out place cards and flower arrangements.

She only half-listened as Ash tried to explain how this was an extremely important client and that if it worked out well, he would make even more money. Instead, she was thinking about the two entire months she had to yet experience but without Ash. Since they had started dating, the most amount of time they had spent without seeing one another had been two weeks. Now to go two months?

"Misty? Misty are you listening?"

"Hm. Yeah Ash. Two months, really Ash?" she said softly.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's not like…I mean…well…" he trailed off. "If you don't want me to go, I won't."

Misty sighed. "Now you know that's not fair. Of course I want you to go!"

"So it's true! You do hate me!"

Misty rolled her eyes. Trust her fiancé to be the one man who could turn a serious issue into a joke on Valentine's Day no less. "Shut up. You know what I mean."

"I know."

Neither spoke for a few seconds, instead listening to the other breathe steadily. Then finally Misty said, "You'd better not fall for a Spanish girl."

"You'd better not fall for…well anyone."

"I will if you don't come back in two months."

"I'll buy you some nice Spanish jewelry."

"Could you maybe come back with a hot Spanish accent instead? It's the least you could do."

"I'll try my best."

*****Author's Note*****

On Microsoft Word in Arial size 10 font, this chapter has come out to be sixteen pages. SIXTEEN. I hope you all enjoyed all those sixteen pages! You know, it's funny…I actually hadn't planned on Ash leaving the country until just at the moment as I was writing that last scene. And then, it somehow came out of nowhere and fit perfectly. Yes I know I've said I've plotted out a good portion of the fic but every once in a while, an idea strikes you that you just have to go with and everything else will fall into place around it. ^_^

Please review!

Much love as always,

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Review Responses:**

_dongaro_: Thanks for your review! I hope you enjoyed all the character interactions once again. As for Misty thinking that Ash might fall for Dawn…well you'll just have to wait and see! ^^

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: Ritchie and Melody are waaaay too busy to have a baby right now. But we shall see. You never know what surprises I'll pull! ^^

_BowlingStar08_: Yeah I think Gary and Ash as friends are just way more fun than them as rivals. Haha well Todd's improved in this chapter so now he's the one having to be patient with Duplica!

_Death's Serenade_: Thank you always for your reviews! ^_^ Glad you liked last chapter. And yup, Gary is plenty old enough so he really needs to get a move on!...Haha yeah some of my friends have had babies and just hearing their pregnancy stories are entertaining. Hopefully I can write that off well! So far, the cravings are the most amusing. ^^

_AzureKite4_: I would say that you are kind of on the right track about "Rocketing Innovations." As for the details and our Jessie/James and Butch/Cassidy reporting groups, they shall unfold slowly. ^_^ Haha Gary is just a weird but cool person. As you can tell, he loves to get under Serena's skin and hiding in the bathtub was just one of many antics.

_Guibin_: Don't worry, I have some plans for May. ^_^ She'll still be a minor character in comparison to the rest though. I've never watched anything with her…Oh trust me, Serena will have PLENTY of rivals! Haha. We knocked off one in this chapter but more to come!...Hahaha oh I can totally see Ash getting a pet rat named Pikachu and Misty swearing that if he doesn't get rid of it, they'll never get married…Get the DS lite yet? I only ever had the Gameboy color which is ancient now. Haha.

_61wisampa_: Hehe thank you!!! I hope you liked the Ritchie/Melody scenes here too! ^^

_Ronmione x3_: Unfortunately I couldn't do as quick an update this time. I'm glad you find all the story lines intriguing!!! ^_^ Hope you liked them here too.

_GGDeimos_: Aw thank you very much! It's pretty fun to write the various characters separately and then all together.

_shut up and read or go away:_ Oh nooo worries. I don't like lemons. Nope. I don't write them, read them, watch them (haha as in the R rated movie stuff). Only some hints will be given since half our characters, are afterall, married. But nothing more, promise!

_merise_: Wow. That is some odd coincidence. But I am rooting for you to stick to your resolution! You go girl!!!! Hahaha to your rant!!! Yeah Gary's pretty stupid for such a smart person.

_Chika Hoshi_: Ash as an imbecile is the best. Haha. And yup, he and Misty talk about Gary and Serena as you can see in this chapter too. So far Duplica's mood swings are mild. But we shall see. Hehe. Hope you liked this chapter and Ritchie and Melody's continued work at their marriage!

_licoricejellybean_: Haha yeah I'd have killed Todd too. He's a bit dense sometimes, as we already know from MTM. Also, Serena only knows that Gary wants to find "the one" not that he is required to find "the one" because of his grandfather. Which makes it a little more complicated now.

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: You know, I just remembered that before I left my house, I left some oatmeal cookie mix in the fridge. Whoops….Ah I'm sorry you have a crush on your guy friend who forgot your name. Doesn't it just suck??? Hopefully things will work out better for you! Hope you liked the Gary/Serena in this chapter!!!

_ShadowMario3_: It will probably take Gary a while before he finds the right one since he's Gary the Playboy. Haha. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Toph the Trickster_: Well I update fast when I'm able to. Unfortunately this time because I was traveling, I couldn't. Plus, this chapter took me a while to write…Lol. Todd's an oddball obsessed photographer but luckily this chapter he toned it down a bit. For now….your feeling about the development between Gary and Serena would be correct as you can see in this chapter! As for sensing Gary's pain for when Serena finds out…well ^_^ we'll have to wait and see! Hehe. Hopefully you liked Ritchie and Melody's continued attempt to make the marriage work as well as the rest of the chapter!!!

_s.a.e.i.a.-e.u.c.a_.: We know Gary's right one is near, he just doesn't. Haha. Thanks for your review and hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^^

_Epicocity_: Haha I'm glad you liked Ash's reaction last chapter. As for Ash looking at numbers…I'll be honest. I can't see it either but he IS the Junior VP of one of the largest corporations. It was bound to happen sometime. Haha. I have some plans for that. I'll look forward to your Melody/Ritchie-ness in your fic!

_Munchlax Jr_: Haha okay just for you I won't include Paul. OR if I do, he'll be a jerk. And if my memory serves me right, Penguinshipping is Kenny/Dawn? I did my research a while ago so I have to brush up on the new shippings. Ooh and a request for a Taiora? Wow haven't had that in YEARS. I'll definitely try since you asked. ^_^ Not at the moment but sometime in between when I need a break from this fic, I'll do one. Just have to think of a storyline. I'll let you know once I start. ^^

_poka_: Thanks! I probably won't be as regular as before but regular enough that there's no 4-month hiatus! ^^

_RaveOn21_: Hehe. It's cause I'm sorta writing 5 stories at once that eventually connect. It's a bit difficult but fun at the same time. ^^ Also, since you mentioned it, I put in some Brock action. ^_^ Hope you enjoyed!!

_Athletic nerd_: Aw thank you very much! It's sometimes confusing to write so many different mini-story lines but I enjoy it! Especially when they all come together like in this chapter which I hope you enjoyed. And thanks, glad you like the new profile pic. I thought it was more fitting. ^_^

_Homo Genus_: Hehe you may just have caught on to the trend of a character being mentioned then appearing. We shall see. ^_~ Sorry, no Dawn in this chapter but she'll be coming, slowly and slowly till BAM! Or maybe not. ^^ Also, you're a-d made me laugh. Thanks for the input even though I've decided not to do the forum for the time being!

_bluejay511_: Yeah Gary and love just seem weird right? Lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!

_Amazingly awesome person_: Hey thanks for reading MTM! Sorry I haven't been able to properly respond to your reviews for there but I'm really happy that you enjoyed it and now like pokeshipping. Whoot whoot! My life is complete. Hehe. And no worries, I will not forget your expectations of a Gary and Serena engagement. You'll just have to wait and see if/how/when it happens. ^_^

_Steveaaml_: Hello! Yes I am back! Good to see you back as well! ^^ Gary and Serena are just terribly amusing to write. I hope you enjoyed their interaction in this chapter along with the other characters! And thanks for sharing the line that you liked as always. ^_^


	7. Phone Call Disconnect

*****Author's Note*****

Thank you for 170+ reviews for 6 chapters!!!! Love you all like whoa. ^_^

I was a little sick so I had to pause in writing for a bit. But other than that, not much to say this time so please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone but Serena. And Amber. And anyone else I make up which at the moment is just those two. Also don't own the lyrics to Misty's ringtone. ^^

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 7: Phone Call Disconnect

March was finally here and with that came a new department for his second year rotations. Not that Ritchie hadn't enjoyed helping to bring wailing pink-faced babies into the world, it was just that baby doctor duty sometimes was a little trying.

This rotation, he was pleased to see that he had been scheduled for the in-patient rehabilitation unit. The patients had already undergone surgery and now he had to follow up with them, make sure procedures went okay and work on their progress for getting back to their original state before whatever freak accident or natural disaster had caused their injury.

Or at least as close as possible.

And because these patients weren't about to go anywhere or have a baby without warning, it was a little less stressful with more free time after work. And this was what Ritchie was looking forward to the most.

Now he stood in front of the small conference room located on the rehab floor to meet with the attending doctor and the other residents with whom he would be working with this rotation.

Ritchie straightened his white coat, made sure his stethoscope hung neatly around his neck before knocking once on the door and entering.

"Hello."

"Hi," Ritchie responded. He stepped inside the room.

Already seated at the oval table was a petite young woman whom Ritchie recalled seeing around the hospital several times. She stood up and extended a hand.

"I'm Lyra Megumi," she said. "First year."

Ritchie leaned across the table to shake her hand and said, "Ritchie Kirk. Second year."

They sat down facing one another. "You're the one who's married to Melody Singer!"

"Is that how I'm known?"

Cissy laughed. "Well, it's not like every doctor has connections to the celebrity world. Main reason I know is because I'm a big fan of hers."

Ritchie smiled. He always found it interesting meeting his wife's admirers. "I'll definitely be sure to tell her."

"Oh that would be wonderful! I think she's absolutely wonderful because she's got such charm when she performs."

"You've gone to one of her concerts?"

Lyra nodded. "A few years ago when she was just starting. Back then I didn't know who she was and went along with some friends but I've been loyal to her since. She seems like she's one of those stars who don't fall into the trap of fame. Am I right?"

"Absolutely. Melody is pretty down to earth," Ritchie replied. Most of the time anyway. "She'll be happy to hear about you."

"Oh please tell her that I do admire her. Wow. I can't believe I'm actually talking to Melody Singer's husband! It's like I'm so close to her already!" the first year gushed and launched into an explanation of how one of Melody's earlier songs had really helped her out through a tough time.

Ritchie politely listened, appreciative of the younger woman's flattery of Melody, yet at the same time, wonderingly fearfully if all their conversations would be centered around his wife's music career. He loved Melody and fully supported her. He just wasn't sure if he could handle talking about her singing twenty-four seven as Lyra seemed like she might do.

~*~

Misty pressed her lips together tightly but the corners of her mouth still went up.

"You are such a jerk," Serena said glowering, hands on her hips. "I have given up my valuable time to be here when I could be grading papers. Yet, what do you do? Turn me into your personal Barbie doll clown."

"It's not that bad," Duplica remarked before she made eye contact with Misty and both dissolved into a fit of laughter.

Dawn emerged from behind a rack of dresses, holding a few in her arms and stopped short upon seeing Serena. "Um. As the wedding coordinator, I must highly advise against that particular dress and anything else that is similar."

"No kidding," Serena responded sourly, shooting another hate filled glare towards the bride before disappearing behind the curtain into her changing room.

Misty and Duplica continued to giggle as Dawn handed Duplica another dress to try on. Misty smirked as Serena called out, "I have Maid-of-Honor rights you know!"

The four women were at a well-known bridal dress shop in Celadon City, a few hours outside of Cerulean. They had taken the train early in the morning. Misty had at first been a bit reluctant to travel so far when there were perfectly decent shops right in her own town. But now she had to admit, Dawn knew what she was doing.

The shop her wedding coordinator had chosen was by far, the largest she had ever seen, located inside the megamall. There were rows upon rows of various dresses, shoes, purses, and every accessory imaginable to a bride. The back of the shop had a small raised platform and was wall-to-wall mirror while private dressing rooms lined the sides of the shop. Larger ones were for the bride while smaller ones for bridesmaids.

After arriving and admiring the shop, the girls had perused the racks. They decided to first pick a bridesmaid dress then tackle the difficulty of finding Misty's wedding gown.

In this fancy and expensive shop, Misty hadn't thought it possible to find any atrociously designed dresses but apparently there was an entire rack full of out-of-style bridalwear for the more eccentric. Duplica had been with her during this find. They had given each other conspiring grins before grabbing two hideous dresses and heading towards the dressing rooms, calling out to Serena.

She had rushed over and questioned Misty's sanity at choosing such a design but her two friends had convinced her that the dresses were really quite perfect. With a shrug, she accepted one while Duplica pretended she would try on the other.

What resulted was Serena stomping out of her dressing room in a pallid yellow dress with puffy full-length sleeves, lace around the collar and hem, which dragged along the floor, and tiny bows in every place imaginable. There was a bow at the elbows, in the back, sides, and front, bordering the neckline, and at the wrists. It was any Maid-of-Honor or bridesmaid's nightmare.

"I hope you had a good laugh," Serena said as she slid open the curtains wearing a tank top and capris.

"We did thanks," Duplica responded from her own adjacent room. She stepped out in the dress Dawn had chosen.

"Okay see, why couldn't I have tried that on?" Serena remarked pointing.

Misty stood up from where she had been perched on a couch and walked over. Duplica was wearing a sleeveless chiffon dress with a slightly plunging neckline and a hem that stopped mid-thigh. To complete the outfit, she was wearing two-inch heels that they had decided was the max any of them were willing to wear for the wedding.

"You want to look like a hooker?" Duplica commented, turning in front of the mirror with a frown.

"Good point."

"That bad, huh?" Dawn asked standing behind Duplica as she twirled.

"Can you imagine me wearing this in a couple of months and being all fat?"

"That'll be funny."

"Shut up Misty."

"I thought it was a bit longer but I guess on me, it seemed like it was since I'm shorter than you," Dawn said.

"Next!" Serena called out with a snap of her fingers.

Misty rummaged through the pile of dresses they had created on another couch and pulled out a full length one. "Like or dislike?"

The other women stared before Duplica called out "Like" while Dawn and Serena said "Dislike." Misty's vote was "Like."

"I'll try it on this time," Serena said grabbing the dress while Dawn handed Duplica another one. "Melody and Joy so owe us."

"Well think of it this way, at least you two get to have a say in what you like. They don't even get to vote."

"True," Serena responded from behind her curtain. "But it's not like we're going to choose something like that appalling yellow thing. They'll get a great dress without doing any of the work of trial and error."

"You're both my best friends since high school. It's the least you could do."

Duplica and Serena came out. Misty eyed the dresses critically while Dawn stood beside her tapping her chin.

"Something's missing," Dawn muttered.

Misty crossed her arms. "Hm."

The other two looked at one another then at their reflections. "Dislike."

It took another two hours of searching, trying on prospective dresses, then tossing them into piles of Like and Dislike before the four women finally were able to vote on at least three that they felt would flatter all the bridesmaids.

The women stood in a line, staring at the finalists that they had hung on an empty rack.

"I wish we could take these back home and get everyone else's opinions," Duplica said wistfully.

"Hmm." Dawn bit her lip. "I think that can be arranged."

"Really?" Misty said, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "That would be amazing but I don't think someplace so ritzy would allow that."

Dawn grinned at her client. "You underestimate the power of the wedding coordinator. I'll be right back."

She disappeared between racks of dresses and Misty could just barely seen Dawn's head bobbing around as she made her way to the front counter.

"I like her," Serena said flopping back onto a couch.

Duplica nodded. "Me too. This place, though kind of tiring, is great. I wish I had known about it for my wedding. I never imagined so many dress styles existed and I'm a model!"

"Me neither," Misty responded, looking once more at the three chosen dresses then sitting beside Serena.

"So how's Ashy?" Serena inquired, pulling a dress out from underneath her that she had accidentally sat on.

Misty sighed. "I wish I knew to tell you."

"What do you mean?" Duplica prompted.

Misty looked around to make sure Dawn hadn't returned before saying, "Well, he hasn't been very responsive since he's left. I guess the time difference doesn't help but he could at least call me more than I call him, you know? We've barely talked because he's always in meetings or something. I get the occasional text but that's about it."

"Guys are like that," Duplica said matter-of-factly. "They're just not as communicative as women. When Todd went on that business trip last year for a month, he called only during his lunch break and sometimes at night if he wasn't too tired."

"But he stilled called every day right?"

"I suppose."

"Ash doesn't even do that!"

"Give it a little bit of time Mist," Serena said. "Duplica's right. A lot of guys just aren't great with keeping in touch when it comes to being long-distance. It doesn't mean that he doesn't care any less or isn't thinking about you. And it's only for about another month."

Misty frowned. "If he were thinking about me, shouldn't he want to talk to me?"

"You would think so," Duplica said. "But they're all like that."

Serena jumped slightly before sliding her vibrating phone out of her pocket. "Not all guys," she said with a sigh as she waved her phone.

"Danny keeps in touch with you even while he's working?" Misty asked incredulously. "I read in the Cerulean Sun magazine that he's out of the country this week."

"I didn't know you two were that serious!" Duplica exclaimed leaning forward. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Did you miss my sigh? Why would I sigh if Danny responded? No, unfortunately Danny falls into the same category as your boys. Last I heard from him was a few weeks about. About a week after our dinner in fact. He called to say he wasn't sure if he could see me until the fundraising dinner."

"Okay so who…?"

"Gary."

"But…you're not…" Duplica trailed off as she locked eyes with Misty who looked just as confused.

"Yeah I know right? So you'd think he wouldn't call or text so much but he won't stop hounding me about this love coach thing!" Serena glanced at her phone screen, reading the text message before typing out a response. "He's out and wants to know if it's a bad thing that his date wants to skip their lunch date and go to straight his place."

"What are you telling him?"

Serena finished her text then sent it and said, "I told him to keep his pants on and leave her at a bar somewhere."

"You're very blunt," Duplica said.

"Just doing my job."

"And does he actually take your advice?"

"Surprisingly he does."

Before they could continue their discussion, Dawn returned smiling. She held a piece of paper between two fingers and waved it. "Ladies, get ready to turn Misty's apartment into our personal bridal fitting room."

"What?"

Dawn sat beside Duplica. "They will not only deliver these three dresses home in varying sizes so we make sure to order the right size for everyone, but they are willing to do the same with the wedding dress in case you are torn between a few and want advice from the others."

"Are you serious?"

"No way!"

Misty's mouth dropped. "How did you manage?"

"Magic," Dawn responded with a grin.

"If I ever get married, I'm definitely hiring you," Serena said in awe.

"Very impressive," Misty said smiling. "You have just earned my utmost respect Miss Wedding Coordinator."

"Why thank you."

The four of them sat smiling at one another, the elder women quite pleased with Dawn's results while Dawn blushed at their flattering comments. Finally Duplica stood up.

"Well my fellow bridesmaid, bride, and coordinator. Only a fourth of the work is done."

Serena nodded. "True. Shall we start the real challenge?"

Misty clapped her hands together. "Lets get to it!"

Dawn pointed to a section of the shop. "Wedding dresses here we come!"

~*~

Beads of water clung desperately to the spiked tips of Ash's hair before losing grip to descend along the side of his face and roll down his neck, disappearing somewhere near his collarbone.

Ash swiped a towel across his neck and as he rubbed his hair dry he distinctly heard his ringtone for numbers not in his phone. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he opened the bathroom door and stepped into his hotel room. His phone was laying on the desk where he left it. He grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Ketchum?"

"Speaking," he responded and sat on the bed. Please don't be another businessman. I can't take any more of you, he thought.

"Hi! It's Dawn! I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Oh not at all," Ash said, slightly surprised at the call. "Is everything okay over there?"

"Yes yes. Sorry I just thought I'd call since you're the groom. Protocol."

"Sure, what's up? How is everything going with the wedding plans?"

"Great! We picked out bridesmaid dresses and we've narrowed down Misty's dress to two."

Ash scratched his neck. "Really? That's great!"

"Yup. I'm actually calling because I wanted to double check with you about finances."

"Finances?"

"Yes. I thought I would just run down the list of things Misty and I have discussed and picked out then make sure we're all on the same page in terms of expenses. I know sometimes the bride and groom don't quite discuss all those details properly and it causes problems."

"Sure like what?" Ash asked idly, wondering if he should go over the budget report he had been given at today's meeting.

Dawn began to talk about some of the florists she and Misty had visited and which ones cost what amounts. Ash half-listened until he heard a rather large number.

"Wait what was that?"

Dawn repeated herself and Ash couldn't help but say, "Why on earth would someone want to spend that much on something that's going to die in a few days?"

"They are the best around and we haven't completely finalized this place."

"Hm. I'm not opposed to spending a lot on this wedding," Ash said. "I want Misty to be happy and have her dream wedding but I also don't want to spend outrageous amounts on certain things when so many people in the world can't even eat."

"Oh that really is such a sweet way of thinking!" Dawn gushed and Ash smiled to himself.

"I wouldn't really call it 'sweet.' More like, realistic and an attempt to not be spoiled."

"I'm pretty sure you're anything but."

"Yeah, well. I don't deny having a lot since I've been Junior VP. But it's just that…I do think sometimes about how I can afford so much when others cannot."

"I know exactly what you mean! It's like, sometimes when I go out to eat with my friends at a fancy restaurant, I feel guilty when I think that there are a lot of people in the world who don't even know what a shrimp cocktail is!"

Ash nodded to himself, pleased to see that someone so young was able to have such an understanding and compassion for those less fortunate. His hotel phone rang but Ash ignored it as Dawn launched into telling Ash about how she started a clothing drive in high school but was reprimanded by her parents by donating all her new clothes.

~*~

Brock flipped the pages of the _Pewter Post_, tired of reading about the latest political scandal surrounding the mayor and searched for a features story.

_ Oak Tech Bridging Relations with Spain._

Brock briefly skimmed the article which relayed how Ash was busy attending meetings with the possible investor and various researchers every day then turned another page.

_Professor Ivy is Back!_

Here was something interesting!

_World-renowned herbologist and physiologist, Professor Valencia Ivy is returning to reside in the Kanto region next month after almost a decade overseas in Africa. Ivy is a former employee of Oak Technological Operations where she worked during her undergraduate years conducting research in the Pallet Town branch. She plans to live in Pewter City and teach part-time at Pewter University while continuing her personal research projects._

"Dear, take a look at this," Brock said as Joy walked into the kitchen, tying her bathrobe sash.

Joy poured herself a cup of coffee and sat across from him at their round table. Brock spread the paper flat on the table and pointed to the article.

"This woman is one of my idols!"

Joy raised an eyebrow. "Has there ever been a woman who hasn't been your idol?"

Brock stalled then waved his arms. "That's beside the point! Didn't you say you got to meet her once?"

Joy looked down and read the article before looking up at her husband, the same excitement reflected in her eyes. "Yes! She was a guest lecturer while I was in nursing school. She was just so admirable and so intelligent."

"I know. I've read all her books and the vast amount of research she's done is just amazing."

"She's not even that old, is she?"

Brock glanced down at the small photo they had of the researcher trying to judge her age. "She looks around my age or just slightly older I think."

"Probably. Wow, I would love to meet her again."

Brock tapped his chin. "Well, she will be in Pewter and since she's a former employee of O.T.O., maybe Gary or the Professor can get us a meeting."

"Oh my goodness that would be awesome!" Joy exclaimed leaning forward with her hands clasped together. "Ask Gary! Right now!"

Brock chuckled at his wife's enthusiasm. "First she needs to come back to Kanto. She's still in Africa. Once she's back, I'll talk to Gary."

"I can't wait."

~*~

Misty frowned as she lowered the phone from her ear. That was the tenth time she had tried calling Ash in the past few days. She had not only called his cell phone but also his hotel room. He hadn't picked up once, only called her back somewhere between the fifth and seventh calls.

She thought back to the conversation she had with Duplica and Serena the other day when shopping. Misty supposed that it was a "guy thing" to not properly call. Still, she couldn't help but feel ignored. Was this a sign of things to come? she wondered.

If Ash was so unresponsive now when they were only engaged, what if in the future one of them went away on business and he didn't care enough to call? And what about when they had kids? If Little Ash broke his arm while Big Ash was in Spain for two months, wouldn't Big Ash care to know or would he simply do what he was doing now and not respond?

Misty shook her head. She was being crazy. They weren't even married yet and there were certainly no Little Ashs to speak of for anytime in the near future.

Besides, Ash wasn't completely unreliable. She knew that when it mattered, he was most certainly always there for her and he would be there if any of their future kids broke anything.

At least, she hoped. Misty stared at her phone again, as though willing it to ring.

_ Sha la la la la la my oh my Looks like the boy's too shy Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

"Ah!" Misty almost dropped the phone as her ringtone went off and she glanced down at the screen.

_The Boy_, it read.

Wow, she thought. Maybe all that psychic-mumbo-jumbo Serena had rambled on about in high school was finally paying off now.

_ Sha la la la la la Don't be scared You better be prepared Go on and kiss the girl_

Oops. Probably should pick up now.

"Hello?"

"Hey Misty."

"There is no one here by the name of Misty. But if you're looking for an engaged girl whose fiancé doesn't care enough to call, then I might be able to direct you to her."

"Aw c'mon Mist. Don't be like this."

"Like what?"

Ash sighed. "I'm sorry. I told you I've been swamped with work. It's been one thing after another and you know the time difference doesn't make things any easier."

This time Misty let out sigh. "I know. I know. I'm trying to be patient, really I am."

"Think of this as a test."

"Test? How?"

"Well, I'm not going to be Junior VP forever. Gary and I have been talking and chances are that when he takes over, I'll get to move up too."

"Uh huh…"

"Well if I get a higher position, I'm definitely going to have to go out of town more often at times. Look at Gary, he goes places more than I do as Junior Prez."

"So you're saying this is a test in preparation for the future."

"Exactly!" Ash responded excitedly.

"I see. Well, sorry to break it to you dear, but you are failing."

"Okay well granted, this is only the first time I've left for so long. You've got to give me some time."

Misty idly stretched out her legs and wiggled her toes. "Lets not talk about this anymore. I want to tell you about the dresses."

"Oh yeah! I heard!"

"You heard? From who?" Misty briefly wondered if Serena had called Ash about…well she couldn't really figure out why Serena would call Ash in Spain other than to berate him for not calling Misty.

"Dawn. She called me earlier."

"Oh did she?" Misty said, trying to keep her voice from raising a few notches.

Ash continued talking. "Yeah she called to ask about finances or something and told me that you're down to two dresses. You know, she's a pretty sweet girl."

"Do tell."

"Sure. I mean, we were discussing wedding stuff and then we somehow got into a conversation about volunteering and helping the needy."

"So she already told you about my dress?"

"Huh? No. Just that you have two to choose from. And that you've picked out the bridesmaid dresses."

"When did she call you?"

"Oh sometime yesterday evening."

"I think I tried your hotel room then."

"Oh that was you?"

"Most likely."

"Sorry about that. So anyways, how else are wedding plans going?"

Misty frowned. "Fine. I have to go now."

"But I –"

"Goodbye. I'll call you later."

Click.

Misty once more was left staring at her phone, this time with her eyebrows creased. So Dawn had taken to calling Ash in Spain and Ash actually had a full-length conversation with her when he couldn't even be bothered to talk to his own fiancé?

She tossed the phone behind her onto the bed and crossed her arms. Then uncrossed them and took a deep breath. No. She was simply overreacting. Ash was right. Dawn was a sweet girl who was probably just doing her job by keeping in touch with the groom.

When the bride couldn't.

Misty pinched her cheeks. Stop it, she commanded. Misty reminded herself that she was a grown twenty-seven year old woman who was about to be married with a very capable wedding coordinator. She had no time to be concocting crazy stories like Serena tended to.

_Sha la la la la la my oh my Looks like the boy's too shy Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

_The Boy_ was calling again.

Misty glanced over at the phone lying on her bed. Okay so she was supposed to be a twenty-seven year old mature woman but that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to have her moments to sulk.

And this would be one of them.

~*~

Gary freed his neck from the suffocation of his tie and tossed it carelessly on his chair. If he tossed it hard enough, it almost felt like he was beating the tension away. But not really.

Gary sighed to himself as he began to unbutton his shirt. Work had been stressful beyond belief. The Junior President had spent a good deal of his day not on research and not on business deals but on accounting. Sure Oak Tech had their own accountants but sometimes Gary liked to be meticulous and double check some of the work. Somewhere along the way, he had realized that one of the books were missing which led to another stretch of time being spent on searching for this book which he never did find. Eventually he gave up and since it was already late, he had decided to call it a night and head home.

Just as he reached the last button on his shirt, he felt a vibration in his pocket. Gary pulled out his phone.

_Little Maria._

He grinned but when he picked up, he heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Whaaaaaat?"

"I should be paid for this you know," came the familiar voice from the other end of the line.

"Pardon?"

"This. The whole love coach thing. I swear you are using up all my daytime minutes and text messages. I have limited texts as I've told you a million times."

"Mmhmm."

Gary took off the stifling white shirt and walked to his closet. Opening the door, he said, "Get a larger plan then."

"I'm a teacher. I can't afford a larger plan unlike you. So stop wasting my plan."

"Get on the same network as me. Then we could talk for free."

"I'll pass. I like my current network service. Anyways, are you really so stupid?"

Gary pulled out a wrinkled t-shirt and placed it on his bed. "What is your reason for calling me stupid this time?"

"You really cannot tell when a girl is after your money versus just being after you as a person?"

"If I did, do you think I'd have asked for your help?"

"Yes. I do. Because you love to annoy me and this is just one of your many ways to get under my skin."

He sat down on the bed with a smirk. "Yup. You got me. This is all my master plan to drive you crazy until you crack and go on a rampage to kill me. By the way, if you want to kill me, now's a good time."

"Why's that?"

"I'm shirtless," Gary said and flexed an arm, briefly admiring himself in the mirror hanging on the wall across the bed.

"Stop flexing. No one cares about your non-existent muscles."

"I have muscles!" Then, "How did you –?"

"You're predictable and I know you. Anyways shut up and listen to me. If your date orders the most expensive meal on the menu, clearly she is only after your money!"

"I seem to remember a singing nun doing the same thing."

Silence. Then, "You know very well that the prices weren't listed on that menu. Besides I had no interest in your money and continue to have no interest in it today thank you very much."

"Even on birthdays? Because you know you loved that pearl set."

"Yes. I did. Thank you. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have loved the gift any less if it were a pearl set made from newspaper."

Gary let out a laugh and with that laugh, he felt as though the tension of the day was also being released from his muscles and his brain was finally able to relax.

"Stop laughing. I need a favor."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Well it's more like some advice."

"Go on."

Gary could hear Serena hesitating. "Little Maria?"

"Don't call me that. I'm going on a date tomorrow so since I'm your love coach, I was wondering if you could maybe give me a little advice?"

"Oh," Gary said flatly, lying down.

"Now don't laugh because this is sort of cliché but I had a flat tire on the way home from work and this guy stopped to help me. We started talking and he's really nice and a middle school teacher and he asked me out this weekend!" Serena finished breathlessly. "I wanted to know –"

"I don't trust him."

"Gary, you haven't met him."

"So? He sounds like a pro at this kind of thing. Pretty young woman stuck on the side of the road in need of help and viola! Nice young man to the rescue only he's really a con artist ready to take all your money."

"Did you just call me pretty?"

Gary's eyes went wide, glad she wasn't in front of him. Had he really just said that aloud? "I'm not talking about you. I'm saying in general."

Serena let out a sigh. "You know what? Forget it. I'll talk to you later."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"When is your date?"

"Saturday."

"Where?"

"Oh no. I am not telling you."

"Why not?"

"Why so you can show up and ruin it? No thank you. Good night Gary."

"Wait!"

But this time, she didn't wait. Gary was left listening to the dial tone and the tension in his neck was back.

*****Author's Note*****

So at the moment, who do we all feel sorry for the most? Ritchie for not knowing what's coming with Lyra? Misty for not getting calls from Ash? Duplica because she'll be a fat bridesmaid? Serena because she has to deal with Gary? Ash because he's stupid? Or Gary because he's also stupid? ^_^ Hmm…the only one we're missing is Todd. So maybe we all feel sorry for Todd because he's not even in this chapter. Lol.

Please review as always!

Thanks!

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Review Responses:**

_Death's Serenade_: Haha it's the way of women to complain when men do the same thing they do. Men just have to learn to live and deal with it. :P So far nothing too dramatic with the two-month separation! Oh man and I LOVE Spanish accents. Love British ones too. Heck love ANY accent on guys. Lol. So long as I can understand them.

_poka_: From what I remember in the anime, Prima was a bit dreamy like Luna wasn't she? Gotta love Luna btw….Ahaha you caught us. It was torture Misty week. J/K. I have nooo idea. I haven't been able to read any fics lately but from what you tell me, looks like Misty's had it rough.

_licoricejellybean_: Haha nooo Ash and Misty aren't breaking up in those two months. Or are they? Dun dun dun. Lol. So far one month has gone so one more to go! Hope you enjoyed the Gary/Serena here!...I AM having fun with my family! Thanks! It's definitely helping to get over all the craziness I left behind. And your guess would be absolutely correct. Man that was the HARDEST thing I EVER did. But that's all in the past. Thanks for your kindness!!!

_AzureKite4_: Haha wow really? I haven't been able to read too many fics lately but I guess Spanish accents are in? Personally I like em and I met someone with one right before I wrote the last chapter so it sort of influenced the decision. ^^

_Munchlax Jr:_ Glad you're loving it!!!! Thanks! And chapter-wise, I don't have the total count just yet. I will let you know soon as I have that down. But we still have a long way to go!

_Ronmione x3_: Wow. I've never had shrimp tacos. Are they any good?

_bluejay511_: Hehe glad you liked the last chapter! Hopefully you enjoyed this one even though it was considerably shorter. ^^

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: Oh you saw right if you saw jealousy between Gary and Serena. Those two are just ridiculous. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter! And yaaay! Your boy talked to you? Do tell!!!

_shut up and read or go away_: Yeah I know. I would love to update more regularly but I don't want to make promises I can't keep at the moment. Rest assured, I WILL update. And the high school pact…read back in Chapter 4 in the beginning scene between Gary and Serena.

_Guibin_: Date auctions may or may not come. ^_~ You'll see. Hehe…Okay so long as you don't like May more as a match for Ash, we're good!...Aw I'm sorry to hear your mom lost her job. It's been happening a lot but hopefully she'll find something soon! And if you feel guilty about your purchase, that just means you have a conscious! On another note, at least the game sounds fun. I kinda miss playing Pokemon. ^_^

_merise_: After watching so much Pokemon, how can one not know the original Team Rocket motto? Haha. I haven't watched it in forever but its still in my head. And thanks for your conclusion about DP. Nice to know in advance so I don't watch any more of it….If you get a shrimp taco from Taco Bell, do let me know! Personally, I can't imagine it to be so tasty even though I love shrimp….Ah yes accents are awesome. I met someone on the plane with a Spanish accent hence the influence for Ash. Lol.

_Maanggoees_: Aww your poor and considerate boyfriend. Sounds like a keeper if he's trying to fight the W.E.S! Thanks for your detailed review last chapter!!! And I'm glad you don't like lemon. You're so right…it takes away from the characters and it's not so humorous. I will try to put in a little romance for Dawn but not quite yet. ^_~ As for May, she might appear. We'll have to wait and see. I like to throw in surprises for my readers here and there. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!

_Epicocity_: Glad you liked the last chapter! As for Melody's dream…well that was only her worries surfacing in the subconscious. Although, she may have more to worry about with the appearance of Ritchie's new partner. ^_^ Or not. We'll see. As for Dawn…well clearly the distance means nothing if you have cell phones!!! Dun dun dun!

_Amazingly awesome person_: Haha so glad to have you on board the AAML train! ^_^ And Gary's long drive…well clearly Gary can't show his "love" for Serena in anything but a twisted roundabout way since he himself doesn't even know he loves her, the fool. Lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!

_Homo Genus_: If only I were joking but nope, that last chapter was 16 pages. When I really get into a chapter, it goes. And other times, its average, like this one. Oh man but yes I remember the size and font and margin requirements. Such a pain….Also thank you for your verdict. ^_^ I will certainly try my best to keep the steady pace of each couple and between the friends. Hopefully it worked well in this chapter. As for Dawn playing a role in Gary's quest…we'll see. ^^

_Chika Hoshi_: Haha yeah I'm pretty bad with accents too. I have no clue what a shrimp taco tastes like. Some other readers have said they may try so I'm waiting to hear back on their verdicts. Hmmm maybe I will use that crazy octopus sundae with a peanut butter pickle (NAAASTTYYY!!!) as one of Duplica's cravings. It's far crazier than the ones she's had thus far. Hehe.

_ShadowMario3_: Yup lots of stuff happening and still to come! This chapter doesn't have as much but we're getting their steadily…Haha I sort of made up the distances but then I realized I should probably draw a little map of the cities and towns just for personal reference. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: Duplica is a crazy one! Haha. Luckily no cravings here. Maybe it's just in Todd's presence. Poor guy…Lol well Gary, while a player, isn't necessarily the smartest crayon in the box when it comes to love, especially since he clearly doesn't know he loves Serena. Haha. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	8. Auction Night

*****Author's Note*****

Thank you for 190 reviews! You all are wonderful beyond belief! ^_^ So this chapter is a bit more Gary/Serena centric. We're going to start zeroing in on each couple at different times, rotating the focus between them in some of the chapters so get ready for the real roller coaster ride to soon begin! Not yet but soon. ^_^

**Disclaimer**: I own Serena and Mr. Davis and Mark.

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 8: Auction Night

April had set in and Misty was now counting the days her partially useless but still lovable fiancé would return. They had more or less resolved the phone call issue by deciding that if Ash did not call Misty on his own at least once a day, preferably before bedtime, then she would have to conclude that he would not be a suitable husband to her or father to her children.

Ash called every evening.

Granted, Misty knew maybe she was being a tad bit unreasonable but after she found out that Ash had not once, but three times talked to Dawn on the phone, she insisted he could certainly make time for her.

As for the situation with Dawn calling the groom, Misty had yet to address this. She didn't want to appear as the overly suspicious bridezilla and realized that she should take Dawn's actions with a grain of salt. The girl was just doing her job.

Misty now wished that Ash was back in town as she adjusted the straps on her dress while walking behind Ritchie and Melody. The three had decided to come together to Serena's fundraising event at The Oak Hotel.

She knew that Ritchie and Melody were her friends but she couldn't help but feel like a third wheel as Melody reached over to fix Ritchie's tie to which he thanked her with a small peck on the cheek.

Stupid Ash and his business trip.

"Which room is it again?" Ritchie asked looking back at Misty. She pointed to a sign which read Cascade Academy Event Grand Ballroom.

"And you passed medical school?" Misty said with a smirk.

"Shut up."

They arrived at the Grand Ballroom and Misty was pleased to see how elegant yet simple the décor was. Pale golden tablecloths with a flower vase in the middle covered each table and at each place setting there was a program. Either side of the room was lined with tables full of items for the silent auction including the baskets Serena had mentioned earlier.

Speaking of Serena…

"There she is," Melody said, gesturing towards one corner where the young teacher was talking to a man wearing a tuxedo. "Should we go say 'hi'?"

Ritchie glanced at his watch. "Well things should start soon. A lot of people are already here so let's wait. She looks busy."

"Oh I see Brock and Joy already sitting with Todd and Duplica," Misty said spotting the two couples.

They headed over towards the round table their friends occupied and after exchanging the initial greetings, Melody and Misty bombarded Duplica with questions about her pregnancy.

"You're beginning to show!" Misty commented.

Duplica smiled. "Yup."

"When do you find out what it is?"

Here Todd and Duplica exchanged a look which no one else could decipher before Duplica sighed. "Todd doesn't want to know, but I do."

"Todd!" Melody exclaimed as a way of protest.

The photographer shrugged. "I want it to be a surprise. My parents didn't know what I was until I came out and they said it was such an exciting, suspenseful moment."

"That's because the technology wasn't all that great back then for any of our parents to know what we were." Misty pointed out. "Or it was too expensive."

"Details," Todd said with a wave of his hand.

"What did you do when you were pregnant with May?" Duplica asked turning to Joy.

"We found out. We wanted to get things prepared for the nursery in the right color and buy the right outfits."

Duplica looked at Todd. "See? That's what I said!"

"You know, these days they have 3-D ultrasounds," Ritchie brought up.

Everyone turned to him and he nodded. "Yup. You can actually find out what your baby's face looks like inside the womb."

"I saw a picture of one," Melody said with a slight grimace. "It's actually a little creepy."

"Which is an even better reason to keep things a surprise," Todd said.

"What're you keeping a surprise?"

"Hey Gary!"

Gary gave a little wave and nod to everyone at the table before plunking down in an empty seat beside Misty. "Looks like I'm your date tonight Mist."

"Lucky me."

At that moment the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on the stage. The packed room slowly quieted as Serena stepped out from behind a set of curtains and walked up to the mic.

"She's nervous," Ritchie whispered. "She's got that nervous smile. C'mon Rena you can do it!"

Misty smiled at the sweet encouragement from Serena's cousin and sent her own positive energy towards her best friend. Serena was indeed, smiling slightly nervously out into the crowd but despite that, she looked great in the emerald green evening gown the two had picked out last month.

"Welcome," Serena said into the mic and the few people left whispering stilled. "Welcome to Cascade Academy's Fifth Annual Fundraising Auction and Dinner! I am Serena Seer, the Psychology teacher and I cannot express to you how grateful I am to you all for being here tonight. Just to give you a quick preview, we'll be having some light entertainment provided by our very own students, delicious food catered by the hotel, and of course, the main event, the auction! I hope you've all come ready to spend because once you see the items up for sale, you will not want to miss out! So are you all ready?"

As everyone clapped, the group of friends all grinned to one another, each letting out a breath of relief that Serena had done absolutely fine.

Misty snuck a glance over towards Gary to see his reaction and was hard-pressed not to let out a laugh at his obvious staring. She grinned before turning her attention back to the stage where the high school chorus was getting ready to perform.

~*~

"Anyone for five-hundred? Five hundred for this lovely jewelry set?"

Joy lifted her bid card.

"We have five-hundred. Anyone for five-fifty?"

Someone across the room lifted their bid card.

"Five-fifty. Now going up to six-hundred. Come on ladies, you know you want this set and your money is going to a good cause."

"Seven-hundred!" Joy shouted raising both her arms and Brock's mouth fell open.

"JOY!"

She ignored him as she stared across the room at her rival who appeared to be arguing with her own husband before giving up in defeat and letting her bid card fall to the tabletop.

"Seven-hundred to the wonderful woman right there!" the auctioneer crowed.

"Yes!"

The others watched as Joy gleefully rushed up to a table on the side of the stage to give her information for the purchase while Brock was left to stare after his wife helplessly.

"Seven….seven…" he stuttered.

"It's hand-made," Misty supplied. "From the mountains of India."

"Hundred. Seven hundred!"

Melody patted Brock on the shoulder. "It's okay Brock. It's okay."

"Yeah but seven hundred?"

"Good jewelry doesn't come cheap," Duplica stated. "Oh speaking of good jewelry, girls look at that next piece!"

All female eyes turned hungrily towards the stage as the auctioneer introduced a black pearl set.

"Ritchie…"

"Todd…"

Misty smirked then looked at Gary who raised an eyebrow. "Hell no."

~*~

Serena clutched the silk fabric of her dress as though she were clutching her heart and tried to steady her breathing. This was not happening.

She stared at the man who stood opposite her and resisted the urge to maim him right then and there. But it wasn't entirely his fault. She should have triple checked to make sure he had picked everything up.

Still. At the moment, she did not feel like being angry at herself so for now, she would direct it towards the unfortunate physics teacher quaking in front her tiny form.

"I will deal with you later," she said sternly, trying to think of how to get out of this mess. She peeked out from behind the curtains and her gaze went from the table to table and at the faces seated around them. An idea began to formulate in her mind.

She turned back to Mr. Davis. "Tell Mark to continue to auction off the rest of the rugs. I'll be right back."

"Where –"

But she was gone.

~*~

"Why hello there Little Maria," Gary whispered as Serena crouched beside him. "I see you've finally decided to grace us with your presence."

"No time," she hissed. "I need your help."

"What's wrong?" Misty said leaning forward.

Serena quickly glanced up on the stage where Mark, the auctioneer, was on the second to last Persian rug. "Long story short, we're short on rugs. No pun intended. And those are the big money makers."

"So you need my help how?" Gary asked.

Serena tugged on his sleeve and forced him to stand up. "Just go backstage. Danny and Rudy are already there. I'll be there in just a minute."

"Danny and Rudy? What do they have to do with this?"

"What is going on?" Ritchie whispered but Serena waved his question off and instead grabbed Gary's shoulders, looking up at him with her own dark eyes widened to the max.

"You trust me right?"

"Um."

"Just help me out. You owe me anyways."

"But..um…stop staring at me like that!"

Serena blinked.

"What am I going to have to do?"

"Just go back there for now. I don't have time to explain."

Gary sighed in defeat. "Fine." He grabbed her hands and gently pulled them off his shoulders. "But then you owe me for owing you."

"What?" Serena faltered then said. "Whatever. Just go!"

Gary made his way towards the front of the room as Serena turned desperate eyes towards Melody.

"What?"

"You're my friend."

"So I like to think."

"Help me?"

Ritchie stared at his cousin suspiciously then his eyes went wide with realization. "No way."

"I'm not talking to you."

"I don't care. You can take Gary but not my wife."

"Hey I can make my own decisions," Melody stated then asked, "Why are you taking me?"

"How about a lunch then?" Serena bargained to Ritchie.

He contemplated for a moment before nodding. "One lunch. That's it."

"Done."

"Hello. What just happened?"

Misty sipped some water before saying, "Just wait and see."

~*~

Gary, Danny, and Rudy stood silently staring at one another backstage before Serena appeared. Mr. Davis stood to the side fretfully.

"Tim," she called out to Mr. Davis. "The moment the last rug goes, you tell me, got it?"

He nodded.

"Mind telling us what you're planning to do with us Little Maria?"

"In a moment. Can you all stand in a line for me please?"

They sighed, knowing it was futile to attempt to reason with the woman and did as she asked. She stood staring at them critically before making her move. She swiped a hand through Rudy's hair, ruffling it, and pulled out his shirt from where he had tucked it into his pants.

"Hey!"

Then she moved onto Danny. She unbuttoned his jacket and loosened his tie.

"What, no shirt pulling for me?"

"I like this look on you," Serena said with a smile.

Danny grinned. "Good enough for me. I think I have an idea of what's about to happen."

"I hope you don't mind. I'm just in a real bind otherwise I wouldn't do this."

"Always willing to help you out," Danny replied. He leaned forward in what might have been an attempt to deposit a quick kiss on her cheek but Gary cleared his throat. Loudly.

Serena sighed and stepped sideways to stand in front of him. "Loosen your tie and unbutton the top shirt buttons."

"You're not going to do it for me?"

"No."

"Serena? Mark's ready for you."

"Okay thanks. Boys," she said turning to her friends. "Thank you all so much for this and I apologize in advance for any…harm that may come to you."

"Wait. Harm?"

"Serena?"

"Little Maria?"

~*~

Misty and her friends waited anxiously, wondering what scheme Serena was pulling with the two models and the Oak Tech exec. They watched as Mark disappeared behind stage only to be replaced by Serena who waved to the audience, a large grin plastered to her face.

"I hope you all are enjoying yourselves!"

The audience clapped.

"I also hope you're not all out of money just yet because tonight, I have a surprise for everyone. Before we get to the surprise, I want to give a very big thank you to my dear friends who are helping me with this surprise."

Here it comes, Misty thought, exchanging grins with the others.

"To start off the surprise auctioning, I want to put up for bidding at three-hundred dollars, a once-in-a-lifetime lunch date right here at The Oak with none other than the wonderful and sensational Melody Singer!"

Melody's jaw dropped. "Is that what you were discussing with her?"

Ritchie grinned sheepishly. "Would you have preferred a dinner date?"

As the bidding went higher and higher, Melody's mouth continued to stay open. She had never dreamed that anyone would ever want to pay so much just to have lunch with her.

"Too bad Lyra's not here."

"Who?" Melody asked.

"The first year I'm working with, remember? Big fan of yours?"

"Oh. Right."

"She would love to –"

"YES! I WON! I WON!" a female voice shrieked and Ritchie's eyes went wide. He recognized that voice.

Jumping up and down at a table in the far corner was none other than the woman he had just been telling his wife about.

"I WON A LUNCH WITH MELODY SINGER!" she was shouting happily to the entire room as she raced up towards table by the stage.

Melody looked at Ritchie. "Wow."

"You know, she could've had lunch for free with you at our place."

"Is that Lyra?"

"Apparently."

"How much did I sell for?"

"Almost six-hundred," Todd answered wryly.

"Damn."

~*~

Serena couldn't help but slightly worry about the woman who had just purchased the Melody Singer Lunch and briefly wondered if maybe she should suggest to Melody to have her bodyguard with her for the meeting.

But those thoughts were shoved aside as she realized she had to continue the show.

She held the mic up to her mouth and said, "Wow. Wasn't that a rush? Well, good luck on that lunch. Both of you. Now, all you single ladies, I want you to hold on to the edge of your seats because I have three hot bachelors ready for a night on the town with you!"

Serena waited for all the excited chatter to die down before she lowered her voice dramatically. "Ladies. Prepare yourselves. First up, we have….RUDY TROVITA!"

As Rudy strutted on the stage like the pro model that he was, the female pandemonium was almost deafening. Serena had been contemplating giving Rudy a proper introduction but with this sort of reception, she saw no need.

The female fan-base was alive and well.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Rudy said to Serena as he took of his jacket and threw it over a shoulder, all the while keeping the marvelous white grin on his face.

"You're a natural and I love you for that." She turned back to the mic. "Now calm down ladies. We need to start the bidding at – "

"FIVE HUNDRED!"

"Well damn," Rudy said as he stood beside Serena.

"Five hundred! Do we have –"

"Seven hundred!"

Serena barely had to do any of the work as the women riled themselves up, outbidding one another until finally a group of girls chorused together, "ONE THOUSAND AND FIFTY" at which Serena called it off.

"Sold for one hundred and fifty dollars to…to…" she looked at the eight or nine girls who were standing up shrieking and hugging one another. "To the student volunteers?"

One of the girls detached herself from the group and rushed up with a wad of money.

"Sorry Rudy. Looks like you get to spend some quality time with high schoolers," Serena said, trying to hold back her laughter. "Be sure to tell them to stay in school and don't smoke."

"Great," Rudy said putting his jacket back on. "Let's just hope I don't go deaf."

As Rudy walked off stage, Serena turned back to the audience. And gulped nervously. She suddenly felt like a deer trapped in the stare of many hungry tigers. The women in the ballroom were all on the edge of their seats, several clutching one another and their eyes reflected their desire for another famous bachelor.

"Ahem. Well, one down. Two more to go. Next I'd like to present my personal favorite, Danny Navel!"

Danny stepped out onto the stage and once again, the women went crazy. Like Rudy, he possessed natural charm and charisma as he walked around, striking poses and blowing kisses.

"I'm guessing you can't purchase me, huh?" Danny said as he walked behind Serena, trailing his fingers along the base of her neck as he passed.

She shivered happily and shook her head. "I would if I could. But there is no way I can beat out these women. Besides, I…um I would like to think that I can get a date with you for free."

Danny grinned at her bold response. "True enough."

The bidding started and again, the women did it on their own without help from Serena. She finally stepped in when there was a pause after a woman called out "two thousand."

"Sold to the nice lady in the...nun's outfit."

"A nun? Really?" Danny said in disappointment.

Serena noticed a younger woman most certainly not dressed in a nun's outfit grinning up at the old nun.

"I think you're a gift," she said, discreetly pointing and was slightly disheartened when Danny perked up and waved to the woman who waved a finger back.

Serena reclaimed the mic and everyone knew there was only one more to go. The women who had not won Rudy or Danny were ready to throw away their life savings for this person they were sure had to be a gem if Serena Seer had saved him for last.

Afterall, wasn't there a saying about saving the best for last?

Or so all the women hoped.

"Ladies. We are down to the final bachelor of the evening. Pull out everything you have because this is a man whom you all know and want. A man who has dated women around the globe and is, in fact, the proud owner of this very hotel. I present, Gary Samuel Oak!"

Despite having a microphone, Serena had to shout out the last bit as every female went wild. Even their friends were going crazy with laughter as Gary appeared from behind the curtains and did a little twirl. This time Serena did not even have a chance to have a side-conversation as the bidding immediately started.

At five-hundred, Gary took of his jacket.

At one-thousand, the tie.

At two-thousand, a few more shirt buttons popped open.

At two-thousand five hundred, Serena had to step in despite the groans of discontent.

"This is not a strip show," she said sharply. "Button your shirt back up!"

Gary, being Gary, did not heed and instead untucked his shirt and let it stay open. "I want you to see that I do have muscles."

"What?"

"You told me a while ago that my muscles were non-existent. I'm proving to you that they are not," he said, grabbing her free hand.

"What are you doing?"

He took her hand and placed it on his stomach. Or rather, atop the hard curve of abdominal muscles. Serena felt her face heating up.

"What are you doing?" she repeated with a hiss. "Let me go!"

Serena tried to pull her hand free but Gary had a firm hold over her wrist. She glanced nervously out into the audience, many of whom were now watching the two with great interest while the women continued to bid despite.

"I'll let go once you admit I have muscles."

"Fine. You have muscles."

"Into the mic."

"What?"

Gary gently squeezed her wrist and began to pull her closer. Serena let out a squeak. "Into the mic or I pull you right in."

"What is your purpose for doing this? You are going to get me fired! The principal is here!"

"Mic!"

Blushing as her hand continued to remain hostage to Gary's abs, Serena quickly put the mic up to her mouth and said, "Ladies. C'mon now. I know you can do better with the bidding! I've just been informed that our Junior President has a six pack!"

"Four thousand!"

"Four thousand fifty!"

"Five thousand!"

Serena tugged her hand again and this time, Gary released her. She drew it close to her body, as though afraid he would steal it. "Happy?"

"Very. But you know, I never said I have a six pack. I mean I do but…"

Serena gritted her teeth and prayed that no one could see the reddening of her pale cheeks from their seats. "Next high number I hear, I am selling you. I hope it's a toothless grandma."

A few moments later, a woman called out "Ten Thousand" and the entire room stilled.

Even Serena was in shock. Who the hell would pay ten thousand dollars for Gary? She was brought out of her trance with a quick poke from the bachelor on sale.

"All right then. Ten thousand. Going once. Going twice."

She paused, looking around for any other bidders but they all seemed to have been shut down by this mysterious high roller. Serena tried to identify her but the woman wore a shawl around her head and had sunglasses on. She hoped it wasn't some psycho ex-girlfriend of Gary's come for revenge. Though Gary probably deserved the revenge, even Serena wouldn't be so cruel as to wish it upon him.

"Gary Samuel Oak sold for ten thousand dollars!" Serena finally announced when no one challenged the shawl woman.

All the women sighed and it was as though the life was gone from them. Serena smiled apologetically and thanked everyone for participating.

"Mark will be back in just a moment to finish up our last items so don't go away!"

Serena was about to replace the mic back on the stand when Gary grabbed it. "But, before he does, we have one more date to auction off!"

Serena's eyes went wide. "Oh no."

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her flush against his side. "Our very own Serena Seer! Now who wouldn't want to date a young teacher? C'mon don't be shy boys. To be fair, let's start the bidding at…shall we say…two hundred?"

The teacher's cheeks heated up in humiliation. Two hundred dollars? Is that what he thought she was worth? A measly two hundred while he had been bought for ten thousand?

Granted, the name Serena Seer didn't hold any weight in comparison to Gary Oak but still. It was insulting.

Serena tried to wriggle free of Gary's grasp but once again, he had a tight hold. One of these days, she was going to have to work out and get stronger than him, she illogically reasoned.

"Do I hear a two hundred?"

"Three hundred!" someone called out. Serena looked up in surprise.

"Three hundred and fifty!"

"Four hundred!"

She glanced up to face Gary who was staring down at her equally shocked. "Someone actually wants you?"

Serena narrowed her eyes, pinched his hands and finally got free. She stood a good distance away smiling anxiously as the bidding for her went higher and higher.

It was finally down to a battle between two men. One was Danny. The other she did not recognize. Come on Danny, she pleaded with him mentally.

"Nine hundred," Danny called out.

The other man hesitated.

"Call it," Serena commanded Gary. "Danny won."

"Nope. Not yet."

"One thousand!"

"Sold!" Gary shouted as everyone cheered.

Danny looked crestfallen. Serena tore the mic out of Gary's hands. "Gary! You didn't give Danny a chance to go higher!"

"Oops. Is that how it works?" he said as they made their way backstage. Mark passed them on the way and whispered a quick, 'Nice job.'

"Yes, that is how it works."

"So sorry that your 'personal favorite' couldn't purchase you."

Serena turned on her heels and eyed him. "Is this why you're torturing me? Because I said Danny was my 'personal favorite' and not you?"

Gary began to button his shirt and didn't look at her. "No."

"You…I cannot believe you could be so…so spoiled. So pet –"

"Serena?"

She whirled around to face a tall handsome man who was grinning at her apprehensively. She recognized him as the one who had just bought her.

"Hello," she said with less enthusiasm than she normally would have if she hadn't just been ready to bash Gary's brains in. "I'm sorry but you're not supposed to be back here."

"Hi. Sorry but I couldn't wait to meet you. Um, you don't remember me, do you?"

Serena studied him. "Should I?"

The man sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. "I guess I wouldn't want to remember me either after what I did to you."

"Pardon?"

"Prom night?"

Serena's eyes went wide. "Damian?"

~*~

All the excitement of the date auctions had died down with the occasional twitter of female fans every time one of the men walked by them. So now there was a little bit of downtime to give guests another chance to walk around and bid on silent auction items before dinner would be served. Misty had already put her name down for a pair of tickets to go to Spain for a weekend and was about to check on whether she needed to up her bid when she noticed Gary pretending not to sulk alone at their table.

Tickets. Gary. Tickets. Gary…

She sighed and headed over.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're sulking."

"Gary Oak does not sulk."

"I haven't known you all these years without recognizing your sulking face. Other people may not see it but I do. Especially when it concerns Serena."

Gary scoffed. "Excuse me? You have all your analytical viewpoints backwards. I am not sulking and if I were, it most certainly would not have to do with Little Maria reuniting with her old prom date."

"What?" Misty said in shock. Prom date? Had she heard Gary correctly?

"Yeah. The guy who just bought Little Maria? Old prom date who apparently wasn't all that great of a guy and now he's back a decade later and wants to apologize."

"Damian? He's back? Oh my."

"Oh that's right. I forgot you all know each other from high school. Yes that's him," Gary said jerking a thumb across the room.

Misty followed his sour gaze to where Serena stood with a well-built man laughing. "Wow. He's certainly grown up nicely."

Gary grabbed a glass of water, which probably wasn't his seeing as how he wasn't even sitting in his original seat, and gulped it down.

"I think that was Brock's," Misty pointed out.

He responded with something inaudible.

"So who bought you?"

Gary shrugged, sitting up a little straighter and finally tearing his gaze away from Serena and Damian. "I don't know. The woman sort of left before I had a chance to meet her. But she left a note for me in an envelope which Mark is supposed to give me at the end of everything."

"Old girlfriend back for revenge?"

"I don't do girlfriends."

"Fine. Old one-night stand who thought she was your girlfriend back for revenge?"

"I hadn't considered it. But to pay ten thousand just for revenge?"

Misty rolled her eyes. "Gary. Haven't you ever heard? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

~*~

After finally sort of turning Gary's mind away from the disaster he caused singlehandedly by creating the bond between Serena and Damian, Misty had just five minutes left to check out those tickets. She headed over to the table and was almost there when a figure stepped in front of her.

"Misty! Misty Waterflower? Is that you?"

She looked up to see a familiar face.

"Emily?"

The blonde woman nodded excitedly, blue eyes shining as she clasped her hands together. "How are you?"

"Oh my goodness. Emily! Wow. I'm…wow I'm just great. How have you been? It's been so long!"

Emily grinned. "I'm pretty good."

"Are you and Ralph…"

Emily held up her left hand and Misty let out an excited squeal. "Congratulations! When?"

"This June!"

"Wow!"

"I should say congratulations to you too," Emily said with a knowing smile.

"How did you –"

"It's all about reading the right magazines. You and Ash are famous."

"Oh. Right." Misty rolled her eyes. "The magazines."

They talked a little longer until Mark's voice resounded within the room once more asking that everyone please be seated.

"I'll see you later?" Emily asked hopefully.

Misty nodded. "Sure. Are you back in Cerulean?"

"Yup. At least until the wedding. Parents and all."

"Okay great. Come by the aquarium some time and just give them your name. I'll have you on my list."

"Wow. VIP. I like it."

"Of course. Talk to you later!"

They waved and it was only when Misty was making her way back to her seat did she remember about the tickets. Shoot. Why was every force in the universe keeping her away from her man?

Was it really too much to ask for just a little time with him?

Mark announced that the buffet line would soon be open and that in the meantime, they would begin to announce the winners of the silent auctions.

"I hope I win the jade earrings," Melody said excitedly.

"I put my name down for that photograph of the subway in New York City," Duplica said.

"I could have taken that for you for free," Todd commented. "If I went to NYC that is."

Ritchie grinned. "Yeah but then we wouldn't be helping our school."

"I didn't go here."

"Yeah but we did," Ritchie replied pointing between himself, Duplica, and Misty. "And Serena, wherever she is."

"I still cannot believe she pulled off that bachelor auction."

"I cannot believe she sold me!"

"Or me," Gary piped up.

Todd raised an eyebrow at him. "Please, you were enjoying yourself."

"He's scared now that he's realized that the woman who bought him could potentially murder him."

"I don't blame the woman."

"Some friend," Gary said glaring at Brock.

"Oh hush!" Misty told her friends as she heard Mark announce 'Tickets to Spain.'

"Tickets to Spain? Really Misty?" Ritchie said but she shushed him.

"Winner Number 84, May Haruka."

"Ugh."

Gary chuckled. "Ashy boy is coming back next week. What's your rush?"

"Quiet Gary," Joy told him then turned to the disheartened young woman. "Don't worry. You'll get to see him next week."

"That's what I said."

"Not really."

Misty shrugged. "I'm fine. I just sort of wanted to visit Spain with Ash later." She grinned conspiratorially. "After we're married, I'll just make him take me regardless."

"Atta girl!" Melody cheered.

"Poor Ash."

"Says the single man."

"And lovin' it."

*****Author's Note***  
**

I wrote most of this chapter in one sitting because once I got going, I just couldn't stop. It was so much fun to write! I had imagined several different scenarios for the auctioning but this is what eventually came out. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!

Now I know there wasn't much Ash/Misty in here but you all know how I work by now. ^_~ If not this chapter, then next. Or so we think. ^_^

**Chapter 9 Preview**:

"Ash, this is Mayaka. She's from Kanto like you," Oscar introduced. "I met her earlier today and invited her along."

Ash jovially extended a hand. "Ash Ketchum. What area in Kanto are you from?"

"From Pewter City."

"Oh one of my best friend's lives there. I'm from – "

"Pallet," Mayaka supplied with a small smile. "Everyone knows Ash Ketchum."

Oscar roared with laughter and thumped Ash on the back. "Mr. Popular aren't you?"

"So it seems," Ash said with a grin.

**Review Responses:**

_talkstoangels77_: Ooh I love '27 Dresses!' Thanks for the review and hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_licoricejellybean_: Well no Dawn in this chapter but you can be sure she'll be back! Haha and I'm glad I've managed to create the prefect antagonist as you say. Whoo!!! Score for the writer in me! So we don't have as much of the other character drama in this chapter but tons of Gary/Serena which I'm sure you'll enjoy. Lol. I just love writing those two, especially Gary. But lots of drama on the way for everyone else. ^_~ And thanks! I'm glad I'm doing better too. ^^

_Ronmione x3:_ Once I get back home, I will have to try a shrimp taco. But yes, shrimp pizzas are amazing too. Mmm…haha yeah I wish my friends did the ringtone/ID thing too. Actually we did back in college for our first year or two but then it got to be too much of a hassle every time someone got a new phone. And don't worry…seems like everyone is biased against Dawn.

_AzureKite4_: Hehe well I'm glad last chapter made you laugh. ^^ Hope this one did too! I had fun writing the scene where the girls made Serena try on that hideous dress. It's something I would probably do to one of my friends. Haha. Btw which scenario were you talking about in your last review? I was a bit confused on that.

_shut up and read or go away_: I never watched much of Dragonball but I definitely want to see the episode where Goku proposes!!! Which one is that? Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_bluejay511_: Haha well glad to see the shortness was approved for last chapter. This one's medium length. Anyways, yeah Misty was overreacting a bit but she's calmed down now as you can see. ^^

_Munchlax Jr_: Hehe that is fine with me! Use it as much as you want because that is awesome. ^_~

_ShadowMario3_: Yup we have a lot of something's cooking as we start climbing towards our climax! And Lyra will be an important playing piece in the story. ^^ I wasn't sure who to choose at first but then I read her bio and decided she was perfect.

_hollywoodmiss_: Heh glad you liked Misty's ringtone! A friend of mine had the Ashley Tisdale version a few years ago. Anyways it just so totally fits with Misty, right? ^^ Glad you're falling in love with Gary and Serena. I guess you're just a Gary fall overall. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Guibin_: Nope I did not know that! ^^ I was searching on Bulbapedia for a good character and came across the anime character Lyra so that's who I used….Ahahaha you know, I realized after I posted that I could have done something with the April Fool's thing. Like posted a fake chapter that was completely outrageous but then I didn't have the energy….Haha well if you did it in middle school and high school, it just goes to show that Gary's level of 'courtship' (I use the term loosely) is very immature since he's inexperienced in love. But I always thought it was funny cute when boys did the whole roundabout thing.

_Amazingly awesome person_: Lol. You would be correct. I was just telling Guibin that's why Gary is all confused and going roundabout. And Gary's probably too scared to ask Serena out. She sort of injured him on their first and last one. Lol….Hahahaha. Loved your little dialogue bit. Ash is a hot commodotiy since he's all rich and famous.

_Chika Hoshi_: It's okay. Todd is back in this chapter along with everyone else! ^_^ Except Ash. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123:_ Ooh that's a good idea. I may use it if I can fit it in. ^_^ Lol yes Gary is pretty stupid and he continues to express his stupidity in this chapter.

_Steveaaml_: Thanks! And yup as you can see in this chapter, Ash has not taken Misty's threat lightly but more trouble to come! As for Dawn…well you'll just have to wait and see just how much trouble she causes. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_s.a.e.i.a.-e.u.c.a_.: Well if you're feeling bad for Misty and feeling suspicious about Dawn then that means I am doing my job as the writer. ^_~ Hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't worry about not being able to have reviewed other chapters. I'm glad that you're liking reading so much that you just want to keep going!!! Makes me happy. ^^

_Homo Genus_: If you smell drama then your nose is on the right track! The Absolute Chaos hasn't hit yet but you know it will. And when it does, watch out! Haha you would think Oak is smarter but then again, everyone becomes stupid when it comes to love (or not knowing that you're in love). Haha. Unfortunately, he continues his stupidity this chapter. Also about Lyra, I was searching for a good female character for her part on Bulbapedia and found her bio for the anime character. Aside from Serena and some few very minor characters (like Mr. Davis or students), I'm trying to use as many anime characters as possible…Oh I will definitely try to check out that fic when I can! Thanks for the recommendation. ^^

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: Yeah if I was in Misty's position, I would've flipped too. But don't kill Dawn just yet! I need her!!! Lol….Ugh and I'm sorry about the guy. Just think of it as he's not the one and you'll definitely find the right one later on down the road! (says the girl with the broken healing heart. Haha). Giving up for a while is okay just not forever!!! ^^ Anyways I'm glad you liked the last chapter and the writing. Hope you enjoyed this one too and the extra Gary/Serena time.

_Miss J Idiotic_: Haha yes I'm back and I'm glad to see you are too! I had a rough few months so I didn't write but now I'm on a roll. Glad you liked the last chapter and hope you enjoyed this one too! ^^


	9. Growing Suspicions

*****Author's Note*****

200+ reviews for 8 chapters!!! So exciting!!! As a thank you, I am updating within four days! And we're just about halfway there too! Anyways, I know there is a slight lack in the romancey-fluffy pokeshipping but trust me, it's coming. Or at least _something_ is coming. Whether it's fluffy romance though, can't promise. :P But the big stuff is about to hit the roof. Soon. Muahaha.

**Disclaimer**: I own Oscar. No not Oscar the Grouch. Just Oscar. You'll see. I also own Mr. Davis. And of course, Serena.

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 9: Growing Suspicions

The Snaps, or rather, Todd, Duplica, and the baby growing inside of Duplica, were seated at their kitchen table with several papers and folders spread out. Duplica picked up a sheet of paper, read it over then held it up to her husband.

"I think this doctor might be good," she said.

Todd's forehead creased as he read over the profile then shook his head. "He's male."

"Half the doctors in the world are male."

"If you're going to go to a male doctor, the only one I'll allow you to go see is Ritchie."

Duplica arched an eyebrow. "You'll allow me?"

"This is not about you Duplica. It is about our child."

"Right and gender makes what difference on physician competency?" Duplica said, wishing she had simply chosen her obstetrician without telling Todd as soon as she had found out she was pregnant instead of waiting till she was entering her second trimester.

They both leafed through more profiles until Todd let out an enormous groan like it was the end of the world.

"What?"

"I don't like any of them."

"Todd, we have to choose someone."

"I choose Ritchie," he stated simply.

"Problem oh genius one. He is still a resident meaning he's still in training."

Todd narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment then said excitedly, "But he can still deliver! We can do a home delivery and he can come in as the physician."

"I don't want a home delivery! I want to go to the hospital and be pampered."

"Wouldn't your own home be more comfortable though? I'll pamper you. Ritchie will pamper you. In fact, we'll have everyone come over and pamper you."

Duplica tried to imagine her house filled with all her friends while her first child was being born. Ash would probably faint. Gary would pretend that he was cool but really he'd be squeamish and on the verge of fainting. Todd might faint. Or he would unnecessarily worry driving everyone else crazy or take a million pictures which would also drive everyone crazy. Misty would have to take care of her fainted fiancé while Serena would somehow get into some argument with Gary. Melody probably wouldn't even be able to come depending on her tour dates. The only one she could imagine being helpful would be Ritchie since he would be the doctor but there would be no way he could do his job properly if everyone else caused a distraction.

"It's a good idea right?" Todd asked eagerly, stuffing all the papers into a folder.

Duplica stared at her husband for a second, wondering what was wrong with his brain and whether he really knew their friends before letting out a sigh and leaving the kitchen.

"Honey?"

"Bad idea Todd. Bad idea!" she shouted back.

~*~

Ash stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back into the mountain of thick hotel pillows while turning the TV on in his room. He flipped through the channels, trying to find something decent to watch when his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Ash!" came a thick Spanish voice from the other end of the line.

"Hi Oscar," he said, stopping the TV on the sports channel.

"What're you up to?" Oscar asked. The Spanish man was one of the members of the group of people in Spain with whom Ash had worked closely with for the past two months and had also developed a friendship with.

Ash eyed the score as it popped up on the screen and cursed mentally that his team was losing. "Nothing. Just relaxing. Only one more week left!"

"Which is why I'm calling you."

"What's up?"

"Come out tonight. A bunch of us are getting together for some drinks."

"Tempting but I just undressed and got comfortable."

"Come as you are. We won't mind."

Ash let out a laugh.

"It's your last Friday here. Throw on some clothes and be ready in an hour."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Fine. Not like I have anything better to do."

"I know. That's why I called."

"Thanks."

Oscar gave Ash details of where to meet him and they hung up. For the next forty minutes, Ash remained in bed watching the soccer match before finally getting up and doing just as Oscar had said, throwing on clothes and leaving.

Another fifteen minutes later, he arrived at a pub a few blocks away from the hotel. As he entered, he was met with the scent of cigarettes mixed with Spanish spices and the friendly ruckus of easy-going people. He weaved his way further in until he found a large group of laughing business men and woman no longer in their daytime business-wear.

Ash slipped into the wooden booth beside a tall, curly-haired man.

"Made it right on time."

"Told you I would," Ash said giving Oscar a grin. He looked around the booth and exchanged greetings with everyone until his eyes fell upon an unfamiliar face.

"Hello," Ash said to the young woman sitting across from him.

"Ash, this is Mayaka. She's from Kanto like you," Oscar introduced. "I met her a few days ago and invited her along."

Ash jovially extended a hand. "Ash Ketchum. What area in Kanto are you from?"

"From Pewter City."

"Oh one of my best friend's lives there. I'm from – "

"Pallet," Mayaka supplied with a small smile. "Everyone knows Ash Ketchum."

Oscar roared with laughter and thumped Ash on the back. "Mr. Popular aren't you?"

"So it seems," Ash said with a grin. He looked to Mayaka.

"Ignore the loud one here," he said as Oscar ordered a pint of beer by shouting across the pub. "What do you do in Pewter?"

Mayaka launched into an explanation of her teaching job and Ash commented that he had another friend in the same field. They began to discuss the pros and cons of Kanto's education system from city to city while Oscar decided to appoint himself as the one person who would order drinks for the entire table.

Several empty pints and bottles later, the booth was empty save Ash, Oscar, and Mayaka. The others had left one by one throughout the course of the night. Of the three left, Ash was the only one mildly sober. Oscar was beyond gone as he was currently snoring underneath the table. Mayaka was rambling on about how her students all hated her because she didn't do fun art activities. Ash tried to tell her that they didn't hate her and that it was perfectly okay to not do arts and crafts in a high school chemistry class but Mayaka continued to wail.

Between Oscar's snores and Mayaka's wailing, Ash felt lost.

Finally, he made a decision. He told Mayaka to just lay her head down on the table and take a quick nap while he made a phone call. To Ash's relief, she heeded.

Ash called Oscar's girlfriend who was not shocked to hear that her boyfriend was passed out. She promised to come pick him up as soon as she was done watching a movie and instructed Ash to just leave him there.

"Are you sure?" Ash asked uncertainly, staring at Oscar's legs that were sticking out from underneath the table.

"Perfectly. They know him there so they'll just wait till I come."

"If you say so."

"I do. Now let me get back to Mr. Darcy. Bye."

Ash slipped his phone into his pocket. One problem solved. One more to go. Mayaka had popped her head back up and was staring at Ash with shimmering eyes. She tried to slide out of the booth and ended up stumbling over Oscar's long legs.

She kicked the sleeping man who responded with another snore. "Damn Ozcar. Oz. Car. Oz. The Wizard of Oz."

"Um."

Mayaka stumbled towards Ash who caught her just before she could fall flat on her face.

"Didn't tell me he had a friendgirl when we meet," she garbled.

Oh. So that's what was wrong with her. Ash sighed. He should've known. Oscar was like the Spanish equivalent to Gary, only he had a steady girlfriend. Not that he cheated. He just flirted. A lot. And made girls fall for him without telling them he wasn't available which resulted in a lot of broken hearts.

Luckily, up until now, Ash had only heard stories of these broken hearts. Now that he actually had to deal with one of them, he didn't quite know what to do. He never had to deal with Gary's messes so it wasn't like he was an expert like many people assumed with him being the playboy's best friend.

"Love that a'cent," Mayaka said, clinging to Ash who tried not to cringe as her fingernails dug into his arms.

"Mayaka, you need to let me go. Can you stand up?"

The woman gave no sign of hearing Ash and instead dropped her head onto his shoulder. "Can yoooooooooou get one?"

"Get one what?" Ash asked, now trying to lessen Mayaka's death grip.

"A'cent."

Ash chuckled despite the awkward situation he was in. "My fiancé wanted me to get one too. Clearly that didn't work."

Mayaka let out a shriek then slammed her face against Ash's chest. He could feel her tears soaking into his shirt.

"Um. I'm sorry? Accents are really hard to acquire in just two months. Maybe next time?"

This time, Mayaka's response was to let out one last shuddering sob then fall still against Ash. Even her arms had gone limp as she finally released her hold on his arms.

Ash's eyes widened. Crap. "Mayaka?" he said, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking. "Mayaka?"

He leaned closer to her face, trying to determine if she was still breathing or not when he heard a snore. It was too quiet and far less intrusive to be coming from Oscar. He turned his ear towards Mayaka's face, heard it again and let out a relieved laugh.

But knowing that the sleeping woman was not dead still left Ash with the problem of where to deposit her. She had made no mentioning of visiting with anyone else or of where she was staying. She didn't even have a purse and Ash wasn't about to search her jeans pockets for her cell phone or some sort of paper with contact information.

What to do?

Ash looked at the Mayaka who was now snoozing peacefully in his arms. He could wait until Oscar's girlfriend showed up and beg her to take the drunk woman off his hands. But then Mayaka was already grief-stricken that Oscar had a girlfriend so waking up in her crush's girlfriend's apartment probably wasn't the best way to go.

He could also be a complete ass and leave her in the pub and not really worry about someone he had only met a few hours ago. But Ash knew that wasn't really an option.

The man let out a sigh, wondering how he managed to get himself into such weird situations and finally made a decision.

~*~

Melody took a sip of water from her personalized bottle when she heard the faint ringing of her phone. She set her bottle down on the floor, grabbed her gym bag and dug through the contents.

Aha!

She grabbed it from where it was trapped between her lotion bottle and deodorant and tapped the screen to accept the call.

"Hello dear wife."

Melody grinned. "Hello dear husband."

"What are you up to?"

She leaned back against the wall and looked around the locker room. "Nothing much. Just finished my evening workout."

"Keeping the body fit. Very nice. So glad I married a celebrity."

"I'm sure you are. What are you doing?" Melody glanced at her watch. "I thought you were on-call tonight?"

"I am. But I'm a little free right now so I thought I'd see how you were."

"Aw. My hubby's so sweet."

"I try."

"So when are you heading back to Cerulean?"

Melody slipped off her sneakers and wiggled her toes inside her socks. "Can't remember exactly. Sometime in a week or two? But only for a few days. Then it's off to Cinnabar Island. Didn't I leave my tour schedule on the fridge for you?"

"I know. I'm not home right now though. I was asking because Lyra wanted to know."

"Lyra?" Melody repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why does she want to know?"

"Oh because she's still waiting for that lunch, remember? You went right back into your tour and she hasn't gotten the chance to meet you properly."

"Oh right. Well, I'll give her a call soon. I'm not sure if I'll have time to do lunch in those few days that I'm there but we'll work something out."

"She's just really excited to meet you. You two actually have a lot in common so I bet you'll love meeting her too."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well turns out, she likes to sing too. Not professionally of course since she's a doctor. But she's pretty good."

"You heard her sing?"

"Yeah. She sang for me the other day in the resident workroom after I bullied her into it," Ritchie said with a laugh. "She did a decent version of one of your songs in fact."

"How…flattering," Melody said, feeling a growing sense of irritation in the pit of her stomach.

"I thought so. She also likes shopping and being fashionable like you."

"You make it sound like I'm some bimbo."

"You know what I mean. Anyways, let me know about when you can do the lunch and I'll pass on the info to Lyra."

Melody frowned. Hadn't she said she'd call the girl herself? And what was with Ritchie being so overly concerned about an issue that did not even involve him? Well, only one way to find out.

"Ritchie," she said at the same time as a female in the background called out "Dr. Kirk!"

"Sorry Mel," Ritchie said. "Gotta go."

"Who was that?" she demanded.

"Who?"

"The one who just called you ','?"

"That happens to be what people call me around here," Ritchie said, his voice teasing. "Anyways, that was Lyra or rather, Dr. Megumi. She's on-call this shift too."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So patient duties call. Talk to you later?"

"Sure."

"Bye. Love you!" Ritchie said and before Melody could even say 'You too,' he hung up but not before Melody heard a giggle in the background.

~*~

"Rudy is so nice!"

"And sweet!"

"He signed all of my photos of him!"

"And that's a lot, Ms. Seer. She's obsessed and has almost every photo known to man of him."

"That's nice girls," Serena said as she walked briskly down Cascade Academy's halls towards the front of the school. The girls who had bought Rudy felt it necessary to track down the psychology teacher at the end of the day and give her the play-by-play of their "date" with the model.

Serena had coped with listening to their expressive story-telling of the "dreamy model" for the past half hour as she straightened up her classroom but it had been twenty-nine minutes too many. Now all she wanted was escape from the giggling bunch.

As another girl began to tell the story of how Rudy picked up her pen, Serena made it to the front doors. She turned to face them, most of them at her eye-level or just a bit taller.

"Well girls. While I loved listening to your stories, I have a lot of work to do. You know who would love to know all about Rudy? Mr. Davis."

One of the girls scrunched up her nose. "Mr. Davis? But he's a man and a boring science teacher."

"Yes. Yes he is. But he knows Rudy. They met backstage."

That was all it took. Serena sighed and finally stepped outside, feeling like with that one step, she could actually breathe for the first time in hours. All day students who hadn't been in attendance at the fundraising event kept asking her questions about it until she told them to find a peer who did go.

Big mistake.

The students who had witnessed the entire date auctioning glorified it with so many non-existent details that Serena wished she had never had her brilliant idea to sell her famous friends even if they did rake in more than she could have ever imagined.

To top it off, at the end of the day, the math teacher came up to her telling her that she had to stop a secret betting pool the students had started. When Serena asked what the bet was about, the teacher had first laughed for a good ten minutes before saying it was a bet between whether Ms. Seer would marry Gary Oak or the man who bought her at the auction. Then she proceeded to tell Serena that the teacher's had their own bet going and could Serena please marry Gary?

So it was no wonder that she had actually welcomed the Rudy fan club when they had approached her even though now she saw that too, was a mistake.

Serena had left the school grounds and was walking in the direction of her apartment. She had chosen an apartment close enough to the school so that she could either take a long walk or short train-ride. It was also just far enough away from her parents' house so they couldn't visit every hour.

She decided to pop into a convenience store to get a few snacks to tide her over while grading papers. But first, it wouldn't hurt to check out what stories the _Cerulean Sun_ had printed this week. She headed to the magazine rack and picked up a copy of the _Sun_. She scanned the front cover and caught the names Professor Ivy and Ash Ketchum.

Hm. Serena had briefly heard of Professor Ivy from Brock a while ago but hadn't really paid attention. All she knew was that the professor had worked for Oak Tech many years ago. Maybe Gary knew her.

The Ash Ketchum title reading 'Ash Ketchum and Hot Spanish Nights' hit a little closer to home.

Serena saw that the article was on page 51 and was about to flip it open when someone called her name. She glanced behind her and smiled.

"Damian," she said. "Are you stalking me?"

He chuckled. "Guilty. Actually I did see you walk in here. I was on the way to Cascade but I thought I'd say hi. So um. Hi."

Serena grinned. "Hi."

After he had apologized for the prom fiasco from a decade before, Serena found him to be an unbelievingly easy person to talk to. Sure, he had agreed to be her blind date because he thought she would be an easier prom night prize than his original prom date who had been "fat" according to him. Which resulted in her distrust in men for years to come after overhearing his plot. But that was all in the past. They had only been seventeen after all.

"Why were you going to the school?" she asked.

"I'm actually going to be taking over for one of the teacher's there who's on maternity leave."

"Oh for Sarah? So you'll get to teach history just like you said you wanted!"

"Yes ma'am. At least for now. If they like me enough, they might keep me for the next year."

"That's wonderful."

"Listen," Damian said, shuffling his feet a little. "I just want you to know that I still feel really bad about…about running your prom."

"You said that before. Several times in fact," Serena said with a small grin, not minding in the least for his repetitiveness.

Damian grinned back. "I just want you to know that I realized I was stupid back then and when I saw you at the event, I knew I had to just make it up to you."

"I appreciate that. But you could have made it up to me for free."

"Well, I think you might be worth more than just 'free.'"

Serena felt the blush rise and looked down at the magazine. To hide her pleased embarrassment, she flipped to page 51. Her eyes went wide at what she saw.

"So anyways, I was thinking that since we didn't set a date for our –"

"I'm sorry Damian," Serena interrupted in a rush. "I…sorry I have to go. Urgent business. Talk to you later? Bye."

The teacher quickly stepped up to the cashier, paid for the magazine and practically ran out the door leaving behind a confused ex-prom date who wondered if maybe he had been too forward.

~*~

This is the only place I haven't looked, Gary thought to himself as he unlocked Ash's office with his copy of the key and entered.

Gary had decided to tackle the accounting books once more but without the missing book, he was going crazy. He had tried asking Drew, the new kid who just started in the finance department, to help him search. But no such luck. Numbers weren't adding up properly and he couldn't compare figures the way he needed to. After spending more time, once again, searching up and down the records room and several other people's offices, he was now left with his best friend's office.

He had no clue what an accounting book would be doing in Ash's office. While Ash was secretly smart at math when he wanted to be, he had never taken much interest in the finances portion of the business. He knew how to read the books and charts and work the numbers; he just didn't do it often.

Which is why Gary thought it was probably a futile yet desperate attempt that lead him to feel like a sneak in his own building as he crept around Ash's office in the dark. Not that he was ashamed of coming in here while Ash was away.

No of course not. Usually when one went away, the other had no reason to visit his office. But this was important.

Besides, it wasn't like Gary was going to find the book anyway. But in case someone did ask, Gary could at least say he had been completely thorough in his search. As he checked the contents of the bookshelf, the Junior President couldn't help but think back on the numbers he had already crunched. Something about them from last year's revenue wasn't right and it left a nagging sensation in the pit of stomach.

He felt suspicious but he wasn't sure towards whom or why. All he knew was that he felt suspicious.

It was a very odd thing to feel this way without reason but Gary was a man who tended to trust his instinct on business and research matters. And he was sure his instincts wouldn't lead him astray just yet.

Gary moved on from the bookshelf to the desk. He grinned at the picture Ash had on his desk of Misty and then at another picture of their entire group of friends. Gary himself never kept pictures in his office but Ash was a sucker for them. Or rather, it was probably Misty and Serena who had done the deed. Serena had once tried to get Gary to put up pictures but he had flatly refused.

He bent down and opened one of the drawers. A thick binder sat inside it. He quickly pulled it out and opened it atop the desk.

A paper fluttered out. Gary grabbed at it and saw Ash's familiar scrawling of numbers on it. He looked down at the missing book and frowned. What was Ashy boy doing with this particular accounting book and doing some math that appeared to be trying to make all the numbers fit?

Gary replaced the piece of paper inside the binder and tucked it underneath his arm. He'd have to wait until his partner returned to find out the answer to that one but until then, at least he had finally found what he was looking for.

No thanks to Ash.

*****Author's Note*****

So this chapter we are missing Misty. I actually had planned to put her in but then it wasn't a very significant scene that I had plotted out in my notes so I decided to leave her out all together to make the chapter more effective.

Please review!

Hugs,

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Preview of Chapter 10:**

"Look miss, I have no intention of cheating on my fiancé with you," Ash said bluntly.

Now the woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm not talking about me, although I wouldn't mind trying out Ash Ketchum too. You're already a cheater."

"Really. And you know this because?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "As if you don't know. But very well, if you insist on playing innocent, then I'll simply have to show you."

**Review Responses:**

_merise_: Oooh the difference between envy and jealously…sounds like that could be a very interesting discussion! What did your class conclude?...I wanted to put in Emily and Ralph more but they'll probably just be making appearances. We'll see. And not much Gary/Serena in this chapter. Sorry but it'll be back! Oh man Gary pulling an April Fool's prank on Serena would be classic. Maybe I'll write a oneshot for fun later. And can't believe the boys swim team did that! Lol! Our school never did much because we always were on spring break on the 1st. Probably to avoid pranks.

_BowlingStar08_: Well Damian and Serena at prom is sort of explained here. If you need more, MTM Chapter 9 mentions it. ^^ Heh I hope I can manage to create another great roller coaster ride! As you can tell, we're still going up. Have yet to come down and go through all the twirls.

_Munchlax Jr_: AWESOME! Yay I get a cookie! I like snickerdoodles please. ^_^ And please do send the prompt! I am very curious to know what it is.

_AzureKite4_: Hehe glad you liked the whole auction scene…Oooh okay. Haha knowing Gary, he probably did pull that whole help-the-girl-on-the-side-of-the-road thing before.

_GGDeimos_: Heh auctions are fun when the crowd gets riled up. And yes you are so right. Serena is worth a lot more! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Rogue Ninja_: Yes I am back! Heh. Had a bit of a rough patch in life but I am back with updates! Good to see you back too as a reviewer! Yup the main focus will always be Ash and Misty as a whole but we've got some of the side stories going too. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_ShadowMario3_: Well you would be correct to assume that Ash is dense but loyal to Misty….or is he? Dun dun dun! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! More revelations to come!

_shut up and read or go away_: I know I know. I mean I've watched some of it. A long time ago. And I've read some of the manga. But I really do want to watch that proposal episode. I will find it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Ronmione x3_: Glad you liked the auction! So far, no dates have taken place but they will. Unless something goes wrong…Just you wait!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: Hehe glad you liked the last chapter! Gary is something else, eh? Haha Ash and a fake bad accent. We'll see what happens.

_Amazingly awesome person_: Awww kitty!!!! I can definitely see Gary becoming jealous of a tiny innocent kitten. Is your kitten's name Rainy by any chance? ^^ Haha no Damian is not Barry. Damian from the first season. The dude who abandoned his Charizard. He was also mentioned in MTM Chapter 9.

_Guibin_: Even if Gary could've bid on Serena, he probably wouldn't because of his stupid male pride. He'd let someone else win her then gripe about it. Which he'll probably do at some point later on. ^^

_Chika Hoshi_: Yes those students were definitely smart little girls! Yup Damian is back! Dun dun dun! Gary now has to fight him and Danny for Serena! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_KaylaRocks_: Aww I'm flattered you stayed up to read my fic!!! Yay for fans like you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter but don't stay up too late! ^^

_bluejay511_: Heh glad you liked it and hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

_Epicocity_: Aaah no internet at home during spring break? How did you survive??...I had debated on whether to include that whole muscles section or not but after I wrote it, I couldn't take it out otherwise I'd have to rewrite. Glad to know it wasn't too bad tho. ^^ Hmm Pikachu and the fruit tree in the Emily and Ralph episode? Do refresh my memory please as it has been a loooong time since I last watched it…Okay I did some research on Barry. Not sure what I could use him as but I'll try to see if I can fit him in somewhere. Is he a love interest of Dawn's? I'm still trying to figure out which guy she should be with if I decide to put someone in. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: Haha so what do you think of Mayaka now?...LOL to your description of guys. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_hollywoodmiss_: Glad you loved the auction! As I mentioned in the A/N, pokeshipping to come. Maybe. Muahaha.

_Homo Genus_: Oh man if you set up a date auction at your college, do let me know how it turns out. I've never attended one before but I think they had some at my high school. And we're gonna go with the one that the people who attended the fundraiser are super duper loaded. Haha. It's for a private school afterall. And hey, who wouldn't want a model? ^^ And yeah I'm pulling out the ancient characters. Lol. They're the ones I remember. Also Emily is briefly mentioned in MTM Chapter 1. ^^ And you're right, I'm getting close to being about halfway done. We're still in the month of April (ooh both in the fic and in real life! Haha) and the fic is set to end in December (Gary's bday). We've still got more surprises on the way though! And I will definitely remember to STD! Show Don't Tell! Lol. If I slip, point it out. ^_^

_poka_: I'm glad you like! ^^ And yup, May is May in the anime.

_Licoricejellybean_: Hehe I'm glad you liked all the Gary/Serena-ness! I had tons of fun writing it. All your answers will be revealed slowly. ^^ Btw, I've never seen Bridget Jones' Diary. I know, I fail as a girl but I just never got around to it. Sorry there was a lack of Serena/Gary here but you know it'll be back. ^^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_s.a.e.i.a.-e.u.c.a_: I give you full permission to slap Gary hard. If they hadn't been on stage, Serena would've slapped him too. Hehe. Glad you enjoyed the Gary/Serena scenes and sorry for the lack of it in this chapter. But it'll be back! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^_^


	10. Photographic Evidence

*****Author's Note***  
**  
Thank you all for 230+ reviews!!! Super happy girl here. It really made my week, especially because I was pretty sick (high fever) for a few days. Also the reason for this update being a bit late. Anyways, this is another slightly short one but necessary for the plot! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I own what I own and don't own what's not mine.

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 10: Photographic Evidence

This was the life. Two-month business trip/vacation in Spain. And now headed home to his beautiful fiancé while sitting comfortably in the roomy, plush leather seats first-class. What could be better?

"Hello."

Ash looked over to see a woman a few years older taking her seat beside him. Ash smiled politely. "Hi."

"You're Ash Ketchum right?"

Oscar's teasing words from last week of 'Mr. Popular' reverberated in his mind. Ash grinned, flattered to be so well-known. "Yes I am. And you are?"

"Free."

"Er…that's a unique name."

The woman now leaned closer to Ash and smiled coyly, batting her eyelashes up at him. "I'm free. To date I mean."

Ash eyebrows went up. He usually never had women hit on him directly, especially since most of the ones who recognized him already knew that he was engaged. He shifted away from the woman, at least as far as he could go seeing as how he was in a plane seat.

"I'm sorry. I'm sort of not free. To date. I'm engaged. Plus, you probably want Gary Oak, not me."

The woman pursed her red lips. "I already tried Gary."

Tried Gary? Ash thought warily, wondering what sort of way that was to describe going out with his best friend. Gary really needed to raise his standards in women.

"Besides," the woman continued, leaning over even more until strands of her dark red hair brushed Ash's shoulder. "I figured you and the dolphin trainer were through."

Ash placed a firm but gentle hand on the woman's shoulder to push her away before saying, "No of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Well, women like her never want to stay with a cheater."

"Look miss, I have no intention of cheating on my fiancé with you," Ash said bluntly.

Now the woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm not talking about me, although I wouldn't mind trying out Ash Ketchum too. You're already a cheater."

"Really. And you know this because?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "As if you don't know. But very well, if you insist on playing innocent, then I'll simply have to show you."

Ash watched as she leaned down to where her purse was on the floor, unzipped it and pulled out her phone. She turned it on, waited a few seconds, then tapped out some things on the screen before turning it to Ash.

"There we go."

Ash took the device and looked down on the flat screen. His mouth dropped open.

"Still acting all innocent I see. Or" - the woman's voice rose - "you didn't know! You didn't know you'd get caught did you? Ah. So young and so inexperienced."

But Ash had stopped paying attention to her. On the website the woman had pulled up on her phone, there were several pictures of Ash and Mayaka. Ash tapped each one to zoom in and with each photo, his eyes grew larger and larger.

First there was a picture of him chatting with Mayaka at the pub in Spain. Another photo was of her staring at Ash. Then Ash holding her at the pub. Then her leaning into Ash. Then Ash half carrying her out of the pub. Then half-carrying her to his hotel. Entering his hotel room. Leaving his hotel room with Mayaka waving at a shirtless, drowsy looking Ash.

But in all the pictures, Mayaka's face couldn't be seen properly. Either it was covered by her hair, covered by Ash, or it was the back of her head. Ash, however, was clearly depicted in each and every damn photo.

What the hell?

"You're pretty built for a businessman," the woman crooned as she plucked her phone out of Ash's immobile hands. "So," the woman said, trailing a finger down Ash's arm. "Want to let me see those muscles? Red and you are pretty much through now, right?"

But Ash remained motionless, the thoughts in his head all getting jumbled up with one another, his heart pounding fiercely against his ribcage. Maybe Misty didn't see. I mean, he was in Spain. She was in Kanto. They were so far away. Anyways, if Misty did see, she'd have no reason to suspect him of anything. He'd just simply explain himself. And she would be fine with it.

Right?

"Ash?" the woman called out.

Ash finally turned his face then yelped when he saw her face right beside his. He moved back until his head hit the window. "Look lady, I'll get straight to the point here. I don't know you. I don't want to know you. So please stop trying to seduce me because it will not work."

The woman frowned but before she could retort, the captain's voice sounded from the overhead speakers asking all passengers to buckle their seat belts and that the flight would begin shortly. Ash sighed in relief. Finally. He'd only have to deal with this crazy woman for a few hours before they reached Kanto. Then he'd have to deal with the mess of these photos.

He just hoped that his last words had given her the hint and that he could rest his eyes in peace.

He felt the plane go into taxi then closed his eyes as they rose up at a steady angle until finally, they were cruising in the air. The captain informed everyone that it was now safe to go to the bathrooms if necessary and that snacks would be served soon.

Perfect.

"You know I'm a model right?"

Ash dropped his head in his hands and groaned.

~*~

Gary rolled his neck over his shoulders then stared down at the piece of paper in his hand. It had been inside the envelope he had received at the end of the Cascade fundraising night with specific instructions from the one who had bought him.

It stated that the meeting date was today and that he was supposed to go to the Pallet Plaza before 5pm. Included with the note was a hotel key card.

The mystery and intrigue surrounding this entire ordeal was rather appealing in a slightly sardonic way. If this woman, whoever she was, really wanted revenge, she certainly had an interesting way of going about it.

But then again, a hotel room? At one of the most expensive places in Pallet that wasn't Oak-owned?

She definitely wanted him for him.

Or at least he hoped Misty wasn't right and he wasn't about to be murdered in revenge because of some "woman scorned."

Gary approached the hotel and pulled his car into the front loop. He got out and handed his key to the young valet driver before entering through the sliding glass doors. He looked down at the note in his hand to double check the room number then headed towards the elevators. Gary stepped in and stood beside an elderly couple and smiled at them. They smiled back.

"Are you here to meet with your lady?"

"Pardon?"

The old man gestured to Gary's crisp white shirt, tie, black slacks and the rose in his hand. "I used to dress up all smart back in the day when I wanted to impress this little lady over here," he said, wrapping an arm around his wife who let out a small laugh.

"Yes. Only he didn't quite pull off the clothes as well as you, young man."

"Oh really?"

"On our first date, he borrowed his father's suit."

"That's not so -"

"His father was a very large man."

Gary chuckled. "Well, at least you tried right?"

"That's certainly right! Women are just too darn hard to impress! They don't even appreciate the effort," the old man said. "Good luck with yours."

"Oh. I'm not – I mean –" Gary stumbled when his phone rang. "Excuse me a second." Gratefully he slid it out of his pocket and grinned.

"Little Maria!" he said into the receiver but did not get the same excited response back.

"Gary," she began. "Have you talked to Ash this past week? I've been trying to get in touch with him."

Gary frowned. "No. Why? What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Um. Yes. No. Ugh I don't know Gary!" she wailed. "This is not good but I don't want to tell you over the phone. You have to see it for yourself and I haven't even told Misty yet and it's been a few days but I don't know how to tell her and – "

"Serena! Shut up. And calm down. Now, take a deep breath."

She did.

"Do you want me to come over? If I leave now, I can make it before rush hour hits."

"Yes. No. I mean no. No don't drive all the way here just for this. It's fine. I just needed to know if you had spoken to Ash."

"I haven't. Wait, did something go wrong with the wedding plans?"

Serena paused before saying. "I hope not Gary. I hope not. Anyways, you're probably busy at work so I'll talk to you later okay? Don't say anything to anyone just yet. I have to go. Bye."

"But –"

Click.

Gary's frown deepened. With that sort of last remark, he wanted even more to jump right back in his car and make the drive to Cerulean. Did Ash do something stupid? Did Misty do something crazy because of wedding stress? Why was Little Maria freaking out so badly? He shook his head and noticed the old couple staring at him.

"Don't worry," the old man said.

"Huh?"

The woman came over and patted him on the arm. "If there's something wrong with your wedding plans, your young lady will take care of it. She's probably just stressed so just give her some time."

"Yessir. She'll still marry you if that's what you're worried about! And then you'll live a long and happy life with her."

"But I'm not –"

"Ah ah ah," the woman said holding up a finger and wagging it. "You will. We've been happily married for sixty years now and still going strong. You look like a young man who will love his lady very well and I have faith in you. Go get her!"

The old man winked at him before the doors slid open and they stepped out onto the fifteenth floor. Gary stared after them, even more confused than ever.

The elevator ascended a few more floors before opening once more on the twentieth. Gary decided to put all thoughts about Serena's freaking and the old couple's words behind and focus on the task at hand: meeting his mystery auction date.

He turned a corner and walked all the way down the hall before stopping in front of room 2020. Slipping the keycard out of his pocket, he slid it along the card reader. The red light stopped blinking and the green light started. Gary took a deep breath, grasped the doorknob and turned.

"Hello?" he called out tentatively as he slowly stepped inside. The door closed with a soft click behind him.

As he went in further into the suite, he noticed everything appeared untouched. There was no sign of anyone having been in the living room or kitchenette. He went to the closed bedroom door and after a moment, hesitantly knocked on it.

"Come in," a female voice said.

Gary straightened his back, fixed his tie, then carefully opened the door.

This is it.

The door creaked slightly as it turned on its hinge which slightly shocked Gary since this was a pretty ritzy place. Gary licked his lips then stepped into the dimly lit room. A figure sat on the edge of the bed and after blinking to adjust to the lighting, his jaw dropped.

"Val?"

~*~

Bridesmaid dresses. Ordered. Fittings in June.

Brides' dress. Ordered. Fitting in July.

Florist. Still need to finalize within the next two weeks.

Cake. Next month.

Caterer. Next month.

Dawn sighed and stopped going down her checklist of Misty's wedding preparation. While she wanted to do an excellent job as the coordinator, the fact of the matter was that there was still plenty of time before the big day. People put these things together in a few short weeks while they had months to use at their leisure.

So why not take a quick break? She was tired after traveling around from city to city gathering information about florists and bakers and such and comparing prices and work quality. And did she even get paid for mileage from her boss? No.

Dawn had subtly suggested to Misty that they take it a little easy and she had amiably agreed. But then her company wanted her to steamroll forward. It was a little daunting at times.

The young woman stretched out her arms just as the phone rang. She looked over at her bed where it lay and contemplated just letting it go straight to voice mail. But then, what if it was her boss? He hated leaving voice mails.

Ugh.

Dawn leapt onto her bed and grabbed the phone. Flipping it open she called out a greeting.

The voice on the other end of the line said, "Do not keep me waiting so long."

"I apologize sir."

"Cease your primary work and continue the secondary for the time being."

"Um…"

"We will wait to hear results about the teacher's actions then proceed as I see fit. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good."

Click.

~*~

Misty grinned as she waved out to the audience while standing on Star and Ducky's backs. Without reins.

The dolphin stadium was packed and everyone cheered when the two dolphins simultaneously shot into the air in an arch while Misty jumped off their backs and flipped midair before diving into the water.

Misty swam to the surface then hauled herself up to the platform. She adjusted the waterproof mic headset and said, "Thank you all for coming! I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I enjoyed having you here!"

Again the crowd cheered and after a few more words from Misty, they began to slowly melt away. Some parents had to pry their children away from the tank where they had plastered their faces in hopes of catching a glimpse of the dolphins underwater.

Misty smiled as one of the younger trainees handed her a towel. "Thanks Cam."

"No problem. Um Misty? Listen there's a reporter who wants to talk to you. She's waiting in the lounge. What should I tell her?"

A reporter? That was strange. She hadn't had many reporters come to interview her about the aquarium since they'd included some new shows. Maybe they just wanted an update on how things were going. Misty told Cam to tell the reporter that she would be with her after she dried off.

After a quick shower and change into dry clothing, Misty headed to the small lounge they had behind the dolphin stadium. She found a large woman standing in front of the lounge door.

"Misty Waterflower?" she said. "I'm Susan Porter, with the _Cerulean Sun_."

Misty waved to the woman. "Hello. Won't you please come inside?"

Susan waved a hand. "No. I'm actually in a rush. I didn't know you were doing a show when I came and had hoped to catch you earlier. But no matter. I just have one quick question."

"Sure."

"What are your plans now that you know of Ash's infidelity?"

Misty blinked, not sure if sure heard right. "I beg your pardon?"

"Ash's infidelity. Do you plan to call off the engagement or are you going to forgive him?"

Misty raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry but I think you are mistaken. Ash is not unfaithful if that is what you are implying. In fact, he's on his way back from Spain today and I'm seeing him this weekend to discuss our wedding plans."

"Hm. I see," Susan said tapping her chin. "Very interesting."

"What exactly is so interesting?"

"I take it you haven't read the last _Cerulean Sun_?"

"I haven't exactly had the time. I've been busy with shows all this week now that the weather's warming up."

"So in other words, you do not even know about Ash's infidelity."

"Please stop using that word and Ash in the same sentence. Ash is not like that and I think this interview is over."

"But –"

"Please leave before I have you escorted out. It doesn't take a reporter to know who owns this entire place."

Susan pursed her lips then nodded. "Very well. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Misty watched in perplexity as the woman toddled off before frowning to herself. What was going on? All she knew was that she had to get her hands on a copy of the magazine. She didn't doubt Ash. Of course not. But she wanted to know who was going around spreading rumors and she would get to the bottom of it.

~*~

Work was done early for the day so Todd had decided to come home before Duplica and clean up the house a bit as a surprise. He knew that the past few days had been stressful with an increase in her nausea. Along with that, she always slipped out of the house or from work to satisfy her cravings despite the fact that Todd had repeatedly told her he would go anywhere to get anything for her.

Yet the woman was obstinate. Todd let her win for now, knowing that it was only a matter of time before she realized how ridiculous she was being in not letting him, as the husband, help her out more.

Todd walked over to Duplica's desk in the study and straightened up a few papers. The ceiling fan was on and it caused one sheet to detach itself from the others and be blown onto the floor. Todd turned off the fan before picking up the paper.

He was about to replace it when he noticed the letterhead. It was from Viridian Hospital. And it was recently dated. He read further and saw that it was actually an appointment sheet reminding Duplica that she had an ultrasound to find out the sex of their baby next month.

The photographer frowned and resisted the urge to crumple up the paper. He heard the front door open and exited the study to find Duplica in the foyer hanging up her jacket in the closet.

"Duplica."

She turned with a smile on her face. "Hey honey! Looks like we're both home early today. Most of my girls were out sick today. Something's going around so I just canceled class. What's wrong?" she finally asked, noticing the stoic expression on her husband's face.

Todd mutely held up the appointment reminder and Duplica gasped. "You went through my things?"

"Of course not. I was cleaning up and this just happened to fall."

"Right. It just happened to fall just like when a mom says her daughter's diary happened to just fall open on the page where she's talking about her boyfriend."

"Stay on topic please."

"You snooped," Duplica stated, walking past Todd into the kitchen.

He followed. "I told you I did not. But that's not the issue here. Duplica how could you? I thought we had already discussed this!"

"Yeah we discussed it but no decision had been made."

"Fine. But since no decision had been made, looks like you just took the liberty to go ahead and decide for us!"

Duplica's mouth became a thin line and she crossed her arms. "Well not deciding basically means we're deciding to go with your decision to not find out what our child is. I don't understand what the big deal is. Everyone finds out these days!"

"Well I'm not everyone!"

"You're telling me," Duplica said with a roll of her eyes.

Todd frowned. "You were going to go behind my back and find out when I expressly told you I do not want to know!"

"Why not?" Duplica shouted. "What is your problem? I want to find out so that we can prepare!"

"You can prepare just fine without knowing! Your parents did it. Mine did too. All of our friends' parents did!"

"Our parents had no choice! It was cheaper to not know! Since we have the technology, why not use it?"

"Because I just want to experience the surprise."

"Well I don't. I'm already stressed as it is with these stupid crazy cravings and the last thing I need is worrying about what color to paint our baby's nursery because his or her father doesn't want to know what he or she is!"

"I told you repeatedly that if you have a craving, tell me and I will go out for you so that you don't have to."

"And I told you that I can take care of it myself. My cravings, my problem."

"What is with you all of a sudden? It's all about you! You and you alone." He pointed to her abdomen which was now rounded, pushing out against the fabric of her shirt. "You obviously cannot do that alone!"

"No kidding?"

"I mean that the child in there is mine and yours. Not yours alone. So whatever issues come along with having a child is for both of us to figure out. Not just you alone!" Todd finished, his voice rising in anger. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?"

"Well it's my stubbornness that got us this far buddy! Yeah that's right. If I wasn't so stubborn you and I wouldn't have even gotten married!"

"So you're taking that all on yourself too? Duplica and herself? No Todd involved whatsoever."

"What are you going on about?"

Todd shook his head. "Bottom line. I didn't want to find out. And you went behind my back. We are supposed to be in this together and if we can't do it now, what's going to happen later huh? Our child is going to want to go out with friends. Dad says 'No; but Mom sneaks behind Dad's back and says 'Yes'?"

Duplica narrowed her eyes. "So basically you're saying it's your way or what? We won't make it as a couple? As parents? Dammit Todd you think it's easy being pregnant?"

Todd threw his hands up in the air. "Again we're back to this? Did you not listen to a word I've said the past few minutes of how if you let me help everything would be easier?"

"Ugh. You are so…I just want to throw something at you!" Duplica yelled, eyes roving around the kitchen.

"How about your stubbornness?" Todd sneered. "You've got more than enough of that."

Duplica suddenly lunged towards him in what might have been an attempt to beat her fists against his chest when she stopped midway. Her fisted hands uncurled and clutched her stomach. She grimaced before raising her eyes to meet Todd's, emitting a low groan and promptly collapsing on the kitchen tiles.

*****Author's Note*****

Look what you did Todd! Don't ever upset a preggo woman!!! Or so I've heard. Not that I ever plan to try it out. Anyways, hope you all had fun reading the escalating drama! Things are cooking now! (Cheesy line? Yes. But fitting? I think so.)

**Preview of Chapter 11:**

Just as Serena was about to call, her phone rang.

_Mist_y.

Wow. Talk about ESP with your BFF.

"Hey Misty. I was just about to call you."

"Serena, have you seen the latest issue of the _Sun_?"

Uh oh.

**Review Responses:**

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: Yup! That's what was in the magazine! Photos of drunk girl and Ash. Dun dun dun! We always knew Ash was dense when it came to women…this just goes to show HOW dense he is…Haha yeah well I've worked with elementary school kids before. They're not any better when it comes to trying to find out about their teacher's private life! In fact, they ask more straight-out than the big kids! P.S. I ate this AMAZING chocolate chip cookie the other day. I mean…it was just melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

_shut up and read or go away_: Well we all know Ash isn't a cheater. Especially now that he's told us. But his friends and Misty…totally different matter. And nice prediction about the company. You shall have to wait and see what happens. ^^

_Ronmione x3_: Yup stuff is totally hitting the fan! Not quite yet but it's so getting there! Glad you liked Duplica's imagination! ^^

_Chika Hoshi_: Let's just hope that Duplica and baby make it that far so that she can be pampered in the hospital!...Haha yeah Serena will forever think twice before using her famous friends. ^^ And yup you know stuff is bound to happen! It's happening as we speak…slowly but surely!

_Athletic nerd_: Thank you! Always happy to see that I'm properly managing to keep the mystery and intrigue for my readers. I actually started to read your fic but then I had to leave my computer to go out so I didn't get to finish. But I will be one of your reviewers soon! Promise. I WILL R/R!!!

_ShadowMario3_: You know the paparazzi gotta get them readers hooked! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^_^

_Munchlax Jr_: Awesome! ^_~ Love me some snickerdoodles. Hm. Maybe I'll make some. Okay and response to your PM: Nooooo Sora and Matt engaged??? Nooooo. She must be with Tai!!! Haha okay done. Right so being serious here, I think it could definitely work given you put in the right amount of details and manage to create the emotions and suspense properly. Clearly the part where Tai saves Sora would be the turning point in Sora's feelings for Tai I'm guessing and then you'd have the whole Tai/Matt friendship on the line. Ah sweet drama I can smell you already. If you plan to write this one, do let me know as I will certainly read it! Also, I'll still work on a Taiora as you requested but not just yet as this fic's got me pretty tied up. But I think I'll do a romance/humor one. Sound good?

_hollywoodmiss_: Your intrigue is definitely good! ^^ And the girls just keep coming for Ash! Glad you enjoyed last chapter and hope you like this one! Some of the chapters (especially the shorter ones) will be sort of set-up/filler chapters but I need those since this is a long fic with many intertwining storylines. ^^

_Guibin_: Hmm. I cannot tell you about whether Mayaka is from the series or not just yet. ^_~ You're welcome to see if you can find anything but until then, my lips are sealed as I have plans for her and who she is. ^^

_s.a.e.i.a.-e.u.c.a_.: You're so right. Changing a little part of Ash means he's not really Ash. Plus, you can't help but love the dumb naïve and kind Ash. ^^ And thank you for not tearing Ash apart yet as we certainly need him whole so Misty can tear him apart herself. Hehe. Your bow is supremely appreciated! –bows in gratitude to you –

_licoricejellybean_: I loved your review! Why? Because it's just how I want readers to think after reading it and because you were thinking it, it means I did my job right. ^_~ Sorry for the lack of Gary/Serena. There was a little here but don't worry, they'll be back. I'm really happy that you like Serena that much though!!! Also, sorry I couldn't update as fast this time (being sick and all) but I'll try to get the next one out sooner. ^^ Keep your long reviews coming and keep dreaming about Gary/Serena! I promise I have big things planned for them that you will love.

_Amazingly awesome person_: Aww Baxter's a cute name!!!...Ooh yeah I mean I'm pulling up some really old school stuff so if you were super young when Pokemon started, I don't blame you for not remembering everyone. When the show started, I myself was just 10! However, I do not remember the Eevee girl.

_Homo Genus_: Haha well this time, it was not a quick update. So hopefully despite all the computer issues and hangovers and such you'll be able to review. ^_~ Okay before I get to responding to the meat of your review AHAHAHHAHA YES I totally meant SDT not STD!!!! LOL. Go figure. My classmates always called it STD on purpose so I always end up typing that. –sigh- Haha. Okay so back to the review part…glad you enjoyed the filler chapter!!! Yaaay if you have all those thoughts it makes me happy even though I should apologize for not having answered any of your questions yet. ^_^ The answers are coming though because I have it all planned out! But first, more things to hit you in the face (like Gary's mystery woman and Duplica's fainting) before we get to answers. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: No you can't kill anyone yet as I need everyone well and alive! Hehehe Ash and a Dracula accent would be so ridiculously funny and so appropriately Ash!!! I can so see it and Misty just wondering why she was marrying him.

_poka_: Oh yes. Things starting to go very wrong. ^_^ Hope you like this chapter!

_Epicocity_: Ash dress up as fruits? Do refresh my memory (or it could be an episode I never saw). But yes, Ash is just so dumb. At least he's a little smarter in this chapter with the plane lady. Oooh I remember Pikachu and the fruit tree now! I think. Haha. Maybe I just think I remember now that you told me. It has been YEARS since I saw that episode after all. Okay I looked up Barry so maybe I'll try to slip him in somewhere just for you. ^^ He can make a cameo appearance. And okay Penguinshipping = Dawn x Kenny correct? Need to re-look that one up. And I have no clue who Conway is. Another one to research. Lastly, Happy Late Birthday!!!!! Glad I managed to give you a birthday present without knowing it! Hehe. Hope you had a good one!

_GGDeimos_: Heh I've definitely got plans for Damian. You'll just have to wait and see. And since you like Todd and Duplica, hope you liked their interaction here even though it didn't quite end up well. Also, more Ritchie and Melody to come!

_bluejay511_: Ash just doesn't get a break with these women and now he's in for some more trouble! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_ziggyricer9615_: You may be right about the mass fight…or you may be wrong. Only time will tell! ^^ Although right now I can picture Misty and Serena beating up Ash while Gary laughs on the sidelines. As for Gary and Serena hooking up…that seems to be the popular vote but that's also another one of those…time will tell things! ^_^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. The Past and Future Collide

*****Author's Note*****

I am so ANNOYED. Why? Because I realized that somehow the little symbols I used as line breakers are GONE from ALL the chapters of both this fic and MTM! I am SO sorry about the confusion between sections in the previous chapter but I DID include them and it was not my intention to have the sections all run together. If anyone knows why or how they disappeared, please do let me know as they were definitely there when I uploaded. Hopefully the line breakers show up in this chapter because they're just letters.

Also, thanks for 260+ reviews for 10 chapters! You all are AMAAAAZING! Again this is a short chapter but I promise, the next one is longer.

Lastly, sorry for the delayed update. I returned home but before and after I got home, I got sick. Again. Plus apartment hunting and life got in the way for a bit.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the lyrics to Serena's ringtone. But I own Serena.

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 11: The Past and Future Collide

_My dearest loveliest Wifey,_

_ Make me some chicken! Now! In the kitchen woman! Just kidding. ^^ I have no desire to be poisoned. (Kidding again. I love your roast)._

_ How's training and the tour? I've been putting more hours in the hospital. Why? So that I can take a little more vacation time for when you come home._

_ Isn't your husband awesome?_

_ Anyways, my patients are improving significantly with exercise and it's really great to see their smiles when they realize that they don't have to be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives. I've got another night-shift tonight with Lyra. We seem to get paired up a lot. I guess we work well together. It's pretty fun. I like having a friend with me since most of my med school friends went to different places for residency._

_ Time to go. Love you! Say hi to Gramps for me._

_ Dr. Ritchie the Great_

Melody finished reading the email, her emotions ranging from giddy at receiving a sweet email from her husband to slightly jealous that this Lyra person was spending so much time with him. She knew Ritchie was not going to suddenly go and run off with this resident. After all, he had married Melody and he was the guy who fell for her after one glance.

Still, she couldn't help the gnawing feeling from growing in the pit of her stomach. From what she knew, this Lyra was similar to Melody but instead of being a singer, she was a doctor. Like Ritchie. And she was working with him. A lot. And Melody couldn't even see him for weeks.

Melody sighed and her hands hovered above her keyboard, trying to figure out what to say in response when her grandfather walked into her changing room.

"It's time to dance," he said jovially.

"Don't you ever knock Grandfather?"

He plopped down on a chair. "Nope. Stop clattering away on that infernal thing and lets move. You have to meet your new dance instructor and your new partner."

Melody folded her laptop shut and turned, eyebrows raised. She wasn't sure if she heard her grandfather correctly so she asked, "New what?"

"Partner."

"I see. And when was this decided?"

"Just today. For the rest of the tour, this new partner will be opening for you and singing one or two songs with you. An amateur singing contest was held recently and out of the entire Kanto region, he won. Everyone has been after him to sign record deals and perform but I snatched him up first!"

Melody sighed in resignation. "So more money for you."

"And publicity for you! You're famous. He's not. Think of it as charity. You'll be helping this kid rise in fame."

Melody said nothing for a minute, digesting this new information and wondering how it would affect her. Her initial desire was to refuse to perform with some unknown amateur. Not that she was a snob who only associated with other celebrities. But how could she suddenly start working with someone she didn't know and who was an absolutely newbie to show business?

But at the same time, her grandfather was right. She was a big shot. This new talent was a nobody and nobodies became somebodies when others gave them an opportunity and helped.

Deciding that going on the charity route really didn't sound so bad, Melody slowly said. "I guess I can't say no then. Alright right, lets go meet him."

She followed her grandfather out, wondering who this new kid might be. He was probably some teenager who had an exceptional voice if he won out of the entire region. Maybe he would be like a little brother to her! That would be nice.

They entered the dance studio where two figures stood talking to one another. They were in front of the wall-length mirror and Melody immediately recognized one of the faces in the reflection.

"Rudy!"

He turned with a broad grin and she ran up to him. They exchanged a brief hug.

"Are you the new singer?" she asked puzzled. She knew he was an outstanding dancer but had never heard him talking about singing.

Rudy ran a hand through his hair. "Nope. I'm your new dance instructor."

"Oh!" Melody said in surprised pleasure. This would be fun. She turned to the boy standing beside Rudy. Or rather, Melody noticed and was taken aback, he was a man who towered well over her. So much for the teenage younger brother theory.

"Hello," Melody said with a friendly smile, staring up at the man. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but she seemed to know him. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"

Rudy and the man both grinned.

"I'm Forrest Takeshi. I think you know my older brother, Brock."

Melody's eyes widened. "Oh no wonder! I knew I had seen you before! It was at your brother's wedding a few years ago. Plus you have the same eyes."

Forrest nodded with a laugh and Melody also noted that his eyes crinkled at the corners, just like Brock's when he was mirthful. "Yes. I was the best man. I hear you're married now too."

"Yup. To Ritchie Kirk."

"Too bad," Forrest said snapping his fingers in mock disappointment while flashing a sideways grin at Melody. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly. He might have Brock's eyes but Forrest was much smoother than she had ever known his brother to be. It didn't help that he already looked the part of a young pop star.

She cleared her throat, ignoring the flirtatious attempt. "So you sing. Brock never mentioned that."

"Closet talent. My friends actually signed me up for laughs but imagine their surprise when I ended up winning!"

"Very impressive," Melody commented truthfully. A question lingered in her mind and she decided to go ahead and ask. "Out of curiosity, how old are you?"

"Twenty-five," Forrest responded then smirked. "Are you already falling for me?"

Melody raised an eyebrow. There must be something in the Takeshi genes that keeps them persistent, she figured wryly. "As if. I don't go for children. I see you and Brock are more similar to each other than just the eyes."

"Touché."

Rudy clapped his hands and positioned himself in between the two performers. "Okay okay. Now that we've got this little reunion out of the way, can we get started?"

Melody and Forrest looked at one another then nodded in consent. "Let's do this!"

IDOID

Gary was perched stiffly on the couch in the living room of room 2020. His female companion stood in the kitchenette brewing coffee and a familiar scent wafted to his nostrils. Normally at just a whiff of hazelnut, his mind would immediately feel relaxed. But not now.

Gary ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe she was back. He had heard rumors of her returning but he had never expected they would meet. Especially not like this.

Professor Valencia Ivy.

After recognizing her, he had immediately backed out of the bedroom door and was about to leave the suite altogether when she had called out to him, reminding him that she owned him for the next few hours at least. He hadn't wanted to turn back, but he knew that she was right. She had paid ten-thousand dollars for him so he had no choice but to sit and listen to whatever nonsense spewed from her mouth.

He refused to enter the bedroom and after commanding her to put on something more appropriate over the slinky chemise, he sat in the living room, deep in thought.

Val – no Ivy – came over, the hotel bathrobe wrapped tightly around her body. She placed two mugs of steaming coffee on the table and took a seat beside Gary. He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. She moved until there was an appropriate distance between them.

"It's hazelnut," she said. "With a hint of cinnamon. Your favorite."

Gary made no move to take the cup and instead contemplated what to say. But she spoke again.

"Gary I'm – "

He cut cut her off, his voice strained. "Don't you dare say it. Don't you dare tell me you are sorry."

"But I am."

Now he turned to face her, his hardened eyes taking in the woman he hadn't seen in almost ten years. The last time, she had been twenty-four, fresh out of university with her master's degree and ready to take on the world, young and beautiful. Now, there were definite signs of age upon her face but he could still see the beauty and intelligence radiating within her eyes that had first attracted him to her.

But no more.

"Bullshit," Gary finally spat out. "Is this why you bought me? To return to the past? If that's so, I will pay your money back because there is no need to talk about what happened a decade ago."

"Gary. Gary please. Please listen to me. I didn't purchase you to go back to the past."

Her pleading voice, once like a melodious symphony now just sounded like nails against a chalkboard to his ears.

"Oh? Then what? You want to discuss your research like two grown adults? Okay well let me tell you what I've been up to at Oak Tech lately," Gary said, his voice dripping with bitter sarcasm.

Ivy held up a hand to stop him and he did for a moment. "I wanted to tell you that I never knew how good I had it with you."

"So that's why you went off and married your ex-boyfriend who mistreated you then left for Africa for years without so much as a goodbye note? I see. It all makes sense now!" Gary smacked a hand on his forehead to punctuate his words.

"No! I mean. I did that because…because when he proposed to me, I couldn't say no. You were so young Gary. I thought we were, you know, just having fun. Just a bit. Like I was. I never knew you were so serious."

"Bullshit," Gary repeated. He ran his tongue along his bottom lip wondering what to say next. For so many years, he had rehearsed lines in his head, just in case this moment ever made its appearance. Just in case he got the chance to return the pain and display the hatred he felt at her disappearance.

Yet, at the same time, he didn't want to waste his precious time and his precious breath on someone whose existence was no longer worth anything to him.

"I didn't know Gary I promise! If I knew how serious you were –"

And then his resolve cracked and all the rehearsal flew out the window, all the determination to keep things somber gone.

"You knew damn well how serious I was regardless of my age. I protected you from the rumors about you when people were accusing you of stealing someone else's research. I made sure your ex-boyfriend – excuse me husband – couldn't find out where you lived. You and I had so much in common! I cared about you. You wanted to keep everything a secret so I agreed. You wanted to meet world-renowned scientists. I made it happen for you. Why? Because I…I loved you," Gary said, the last two words spoken as though they were poison and twisted his face into a painful grimace.

Ivy leaned over and placed a hand on Gary's arm. "I – please Gary. I didn't know. Really. We were both young and –"

"What exactly is your point" – Gary shoved off Ivy's hand – "in bringing up the past now? I told you, I have no interest in it."

"Then what about the future?"

Gary scowled as though she had just suggested he jump into a swamp full of cow dung and swim around. "What about it?"

Ivy inched closer on the couch and he flinched as though she had slapped him. She stopped moving. "I want to be with you again Gary. You're right. We had a lot in common. We still do! I never realized it until lately. My husband…he's not like you. Or rather, I should say ex-husband. We divorced because he doesn't understand me. Or what I do. You do Gary. You love research, you love science, you are intelligent and quick-thinking and adventurous. It's what I am too and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize just how right we are for one another," she finished.

Gary took a deep breath and looked straight into her eyes which were glistening with unfallen tears. "You might not have changed Ivy. But I have."

He began to stand up when she clutched his sleeves. "Wait! Please Gary. We can still make up for lost time. I will make it up to you. I know I've hurt you. And I also know that you don't have a girlfriend now. Please consider it."

Gary scoffed. "What's there to consider?" He tried to reclaim his arm but she kept clutching it. "Let go Valenica."

"No. Please."

Before Gary knew what was happening, the woman had used both her hands to bring Gary back down on the couch. He stumbled and fell back in an awkward position.

"What the hell?"

She pushed down on his shoulders, positioned herself on top of him and within a blink of an eye, was pressing her mouth upon his. Gary didn't respond, trying to figure out how to throw her off without really throwing her. But before he got a chance, she was deepening the kiss. The sudden unexpected familiarity of her lips on his made his mind go into shock and flashback to all the moments they had shared together, all that she had taught him and he her, and all the laughs.

And suddenly, he was nineteen again holding his first love.

IDOID

Serena had paced in front of the entrance of the Waterflower Aquarium for what had to be at least twenty times. Just back and forth. Back and forth.

After hanging up with Gary, she decided that perhaps the best action would be to tell Misty what she had seen in the magazine. Maybe they were fake. Maybe that was someone who only looked like Ash. Afterall, Ash wouldn't cheat on Misty. No possible way.

This was like the _Viridian Vanity_ situation all over again from five years ago. Photos taken. Lies concocted. Lives destroyed. Serena frowned. Okay so maybe lives weren't really destroyed per say. Besides, that had managed to work itself out. She was sure this situation would too.

But, those photos looked so real! And Ash was standing outside his hotel door without a shirt. While that nameless hussy waved at him. In the morning.

Ugh.

Serena glanced at her phone, contemplating calling Gary one more time. Maybe she should discuss the situation with him first then they could create a plan together since the situation regarded both of their best friends.

She made the call.

After a few rings, it went straight to voicemail. She tried one more time then gave up. He was probably in some meeting. Usually he picked up her calls.

Next she tried Ash but hung up when she remembered that he was probably on the plane home. She hoped he was ready to defend himself because as much as she believed that Ash was innocent, she couldn't help that little sliver of doubt from crawling up into her heart.

Stupid magazine photos.

Serena looked down at the phone in her hand once more and made up her mind to call Misty. She had been walking around like a crazy person in front of the aquarium for too long and as Misty's best friend, it was up to her to break the news. She was sure Misty didn't know yet, otherwise she would have immediately called Serena.

_Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world I wanna be the one to walk in the sun_

Serena looked down at her phone, knowing that the call could only be coming from one of three people.

_Mist_y.

Wow. Talk about ESP with your BFF.

_Oh girls just wanna have Oh girls just wanna have fun That's all they really want_

"Hey Misty. I was just about to call you."

Misty didn't greet her but directly said, "Serena, have you seen the latest issue of the _Sun_?"

Uh oh.

Serena licked her lips. "Um. Latest as in…this week's?"

"No. Last month's. Of course this week's!"

"Ah," Serena said stalling. If Misty found out that Serena already knew without telling her, what would she think?

"You did, didn't you?" Misty responded, taking Serena's silence into account.

"I'm sorry! I did. But I was going to tell you!"

"When did you see it?"

"Um."

"When?" Misty repeated her voice steely on the other end.

Serena sighed. "The day it came out."

"So a few days ago."

"Yeah. But Mist don't worry, I'm sure it's all fake! Or that there's a reasonable explanation!"

Misty sighed. "You know, at the moment, I'm not sure what I'm more upset about. The fact that my fiancé might be cheating on me in Spain or that my best friend didn't even tell me about it after knowing."

"I –"

"You know how I found out? Some nosy reporter coming up to me today asking me what I thought about Ash's infidelity! I had no clue what she was talking about so now she'll probably go back to the _Sun_ and write how I'm just so stupid and easy-going that any guy can cheat on me and get away with it!"

And with that, Misty hung up.

Serena shook her head sadly. She knew Misty was upset and would try to talk to her later, once she had calmed down.

Her phone rang again and Serena looked at it hopefully. It was Damian. She sighed. They had yet to set up their auction date but right now, she was in no mood to discuss it when her best friend was hurting. She let it ring out then tried calling Gary one more time.

Voice mail.

Dammit.

IDOID

Finally. Freedom! Ash thought as he once more removed his arms from the clutches of the crazy woman who sat beside him and rushed out of the airplane. They had landed at the Pallet Airport and he was never happier that a plane had touched down.

The entire flight, the woman had talked nonstop, trying to encourage Ash to join her on a weekend trip to the mountains. Or a weekend trip to the beach. Or basically a weekend trip anywhere. As long as they were alone together.

Ash had declined every single offer and with each declination, his voice got harsher and harsher. He usually made a habit of being polite to women, especially ones he didn't know but this one was making it very impossible to keep up this trait.

Now that he was in the airport and could escape, he did. He headed towards Baggage Claim but to his dismay, the woman was suddenly beside him once more.

"Aw Ashy. Naughty boy. Trying to run away?"

Ash groaned loudly. "Lady get away from me!"

"I know you like it."

"No. I don't. I'm engaged and I don't like you. At all," he replied bluntly, not caring if he sounded rude. In fact, he was hoping that by being so discourteous, her interest in him would stray.

He walked to the conveyor belt upon where suitcases were now rotating. He spotted his familiar olive green luggage and as it came closer to him, wrapped a hand around the handle and heaved it off.

"Oh you're so strong! Can you help me with mine?"

Ash positioned his suitcase so that it was upright and he could pull it on its wheels. "No. Bye."

He headed towards the exit when he heard heels clicking against the floor, as though the person were in a rush. Please. No.

"Actually I didn't have baggage. I lied."

"I don't care. Just leave me alone!"

Ash considered calling security at this point. He was Ash Ketchum, Junior VP of Oak Tech. That had to count for something with these people in terms of getting this crazy lady off his hands. But before he could make a decision, lights flashed in his face.

"Wha -?"

"Oh hello journalism people!" the woman crooned, attaching herself to Ash. "Yes. It is I, Jessiebelle, your beloved model coming off the plane with Ash Ketchum from Spain!"

Oh. So that was her name. The entire flight she hadn't ever said who she was, not that Ash had cared. But this was bad news. First the pictures with Mayaka in Spain. Now with Jessiebelle right after landing? He had heard of her from Misty and Misty's opinions of the model had never been positive.

More lights flashed.

"Stop it!" Ash commanded but the photographers were relentless.

He quickly tore out of Jessiebelle's grasp and bulldozed through the crowd of people until he was outside. Ash noticed an empty cab sitting by the curb and approached it. He banged on the trunk door, which promptly flew open, tossed his luggage in and jumped into the back seat.

He could see the reporters and photographers and Jessiebelle rushing towards the yellow car.

"Quick. Leave. Now!" Ash said desperately. "I'll pay you double if those people don't catch me."

The cab driver shifted the gear into Drive and they were off.

*****Author's Note*****

Dun dun dun! Now we have JESSIEBELLE! I never did like her. She was probably one of the most annoying characters in the old school group.

I also never liked Professor Ivy. She just gave off this vibe that rubbed me the wrong way. (Haha wow look at me, talking like they're real people).

So I'm kinda feeling sorry for Ash right about now. I used to torture Ritchie but I've switched my victim. He's really trying his hardest to be loyal and has yet to face the wrath of Misty and Serena.

Please review!

Hugs and cookies,

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Preview of Chapter 12:**

"So um…Mist. No hug and kiss for your man?" Ash asked with a chuckle.

Gary, who still had absolutely no clue about the photographs laughed and said, "You left her too long. She found someone else."

"Uh huh."

"Actually," Misty said, turning on her heels and walking slowly towards her fiancé who was now grinning nervously at her. "I think it's the opposite way around."

She opened the magazine to page 51 and flung it in Ash's lap. "What the hell is this Ash?"

"Oh no," Serena mouthed, the words barely escaping her lips as her gaze darted fearfully to Misty's face.

"What's going on?" Gary whispered but Serena covered his mouth, shaking her head, eyes wide.

**Review Responses:**

_AzureKite4_: Haha you would be absolutely correct that Ash has a lot of difficult explaining to do!

_GGDeimos_: Yeah Ash really is trying to be the good guy here. Which is why he's so much fun to torture! ^_^ Glad you liked the dolphin show! I actually don't know who I side with…Todd or Duplica. Lol. A little both with both I guess.

_Bluejay511_: It's definitely never cool to find out something personal from an outsider which is why Misty's so peeved with Serena right now. All this anger is not good for our dear characters!

_Ronmione x3:_ The trouble is yet to come for Ash and Misty!

_ShadowMario3_: Thanks! More crazy stuff is gonna come soon when they all get together.

_Amazingly awesome person_: Heh heh heh. All I can say is that you've picked up on the clues and pieced things together pretty well. ^_~ Oh no! That stinks that you're allergic to Baxter. But I'm guessing not too allergic since you have him. Wow. You were five when you started watching reruns? I feel so old now. I'll have to look up the Eevee girl though.

_licoricejellybean_: Haha more insanity to come! I'm glad you liked the phone call between Gary and Serena. Which probably means you hate how the scene with Gary and Ivy ended. But no fear, you know more Gary/Serena will be there! I'll try to see if someone can do a cast drawing. I would love that too! If I could draw, I'd do it myself but yeah I'm not that great. You know anyone who might be able to? ^_^ Hah yeah Todd is the man of the house but definitely shouldn't have yelled. Duplica's condition will be revealed soon. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and hope you like this one too!

_Ziggyricer9615_: 1- Haha yes poor Ash. He is definitely in for a "little talk." 2- Media is always jumping to conclusions which makes my life in writing this story easier. ^_^ 3- Hahaha. So right. Yelling does not help baby. 4 – Can't tell ya that one! Although you can probably guess where I'm heading with those two. ^_~ I will say this though, they will not have it easy. 5 – All I can say is dun dun dun!

_hollywoodmiss_: Well, Gary was definitely in this one! A very angry Gary but Gary nonetheless.

_Hermione Misty Sonezaki_: Lots happened here! Hope you enjoyed!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123:_ Lol. I so wish I could pull a comic relief mallet scene. Maybe I'll write a "bloopers" chapter and insert the mallet. Ash and the fake accent. That could be its own movie. Haha.

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: Val's identity is revealed! I just used 'Valencia' as her name since that's the town she's from (as you may have noticed my trend in character full names). As for who Dawn really is, who knows? ^_~ Wait and see! Hehe…Yeah really young children don't pry into your personal life. It starts more with third graders and up.

_shut up and read or go away_: Lol. Loved your scenario which I would love to write because it's just the mushy romance stuff girls love but yeah we are faaar from happily ever after in this story!

_Munchlax Jr_: Thank you as always! Ooh I'd still love to read an action-y Taiora if you're still writing it! ^^ So I looked up the fic you recommended but it's about One Piece and I have absolutely no idea what that's about. At all. Sorry. But that's awesome that you love both our stories. Whoo! Writers need awesome fans like you. And okay for the guessing…you made a character as in drew one ooor…yeah sorry I'm a bit confused. Lol.

_Guibin_: Wow. Okay that's actually pretty cool! ^_^

_s.a.e.i.a.-e.u.c.a_: *hands over a rubber wall* A real one might hurt you with the amount of kicking and punching you want to do (and I'm sure after reading this chapter, you want to do it a little more). I can't yet let you use the model or Val cause I sorta need 'em. But after I'm done, you can punch and kick all you want! I'm glad you liked the scene with Gary and the old couple! I loved writing it and picturing it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Homo Genus_: LOL! I need to buy Avatar too and you are so lucky to have watched it 3 times on the big screen. I saw it once but anyways, haha loved your comparison of Todd and Duplica to 3D. As for Val, well that question's now been answered! Also the line breaks, like I mentioned in my A/N I have NO clue where they went. Thank you so much for mentioning it so that I at least knew. They were there for everyone who reviewed before you but somehow disappeared later. I mean, they were there for my other chapters right? Because I saw them before and now they're gone. Makes me so mad! Grr. Not at you. The system. Anyways, thank you for the "super-awesome-humor-romance author" compliment. Totally helped pacify my anger over the disappearing line breaks.

_Lotussnapper_: Hello! Thank you for reviewing all the chapters and welcome! You get a star for guessing correctly as to who Val is! Misty hasn't figured out who to believe yet but we shall see when the big confrontation between the lovers occur. ^_^ And yes Duplica and Todd are definitely fun. I love writing them. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Chika Hoshi_: Hi! Yeah like I mentioned in my A/N, the line breaks just vanished. Trust me, I was so angry when I saw that. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^_^

_Athletic nerd_: Thank you thank you! I hope you enjoyed all that went on in this chapter with the new revelations and the crawl towards the Ash and Misty confrontation! Dun dun dun…lol.

_Epicocity_: Correct! ^_^ Good job on guessing correctly! Haha see you are a logical person. Ash, as we all know, is not always so logical and that is the reason why he did not do the simple thing by calling Misty himself. But it makes things more fun for us. Muahaha.

_Varanus_: Aw thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the fic so far! And yes, I'm sorry about the missing line breaks. Like I mentioned in my A/N, they disappeared because I promise, they were there when I uploaded. Thank you for reading despite! ^^

_Random-Leafy-Spirit_: Yay! I hope the update reminder has been fixed with your email! So the papers and Gary and Ash, that little sub-plot is on hold for now but it will be back. So don't forget about it! ^_~ Ahahaha Dawn's boss does sound kinda stalkerish doesn't he? When I was writing that scene, I felt creeped out for Dawn. Anyways, glad you're back and hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	12. General Hospital

*****Author's Note*****

Thank you for 290+ reviews! And thank you for being so patient with my super late updates. Family gatherings, cousin's wedding, finding an apartment, grad school prep, and all that good stuff caused my writing to take the backseat yet again. Plus I was conflicted on how to end this chapter.

Now some mushy stuff for you readers… I realized that it has been over a year since I started _Misty the Matchmaker _which led to this sequel and my renewed faith in my writing. So I just want to thank everyone who has stuck with me for this past year! It went by fast and I have really enjoyed communicating with you all via the reviews and responses. I look forward to what this next year of fanfiction writing and reading brings for all of us! THANK YOU! *hugs*

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the lyrics to Misty's ringtone.

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 12: General Hospital

Misty sat with her head down on her desk, rolling her forehead side to side along the top and her arms hanging limply by her sides. It was in this depressing position that her brother-in-laws found her when they bound into her office, chattering excitedly.

For men in their thirties, they had more energy than they knew what to do with sometimes.

"Hey there's our little sister!" she heard her eldest brother-in-law, Daisy's husband, Sparky, exclaim.

"I think she's dead," Sparky's younger brother and Violet's husband, Rainer, said in a loud mock whisper.

Misty rolled her eyes and sat up straight. "I am not dead. But I know someone who soon will be."

The youngest of the three brothers and her sister Lily's husband came over beside her and leaned on the desk.

"Ash giving you trouble?" Pyro asked.

Misty frowned, unsure of whether to spill her worries upon her brother-in-laws. Rainer, who worked closest with Misty since he was in charge of training animals and conducting shows with her, sensed the hesitation.

"Mist," he began in a gentle tone. "You're our wives' little sister but you're our little sister too and our kids' favorite aunt."

At this Misty let loose a small grin.

"So if something is bothering you, let us know. Tell me, do we need to go beat up Ash?"

"Please let us beat him up. I've always wanted a little sister so I could threaten her boyfriends," Sparky pleaded.

"You did threaten Ash," Misty reminded him, thinking back to when she and Ash had first started dating. The Evan brothers had taken it upon themselves to 'investigate' the 'Ketchup boy,' as they referred to him. Which really meant that they had waited until Ash was alone in Cerulean one day before grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, dragging him into some alley and warning him that if he ever broke Misty's heart, they would feed Ash to the sharks at the aquarium.

When Misty had found out, she hadn't known whether to be grateful to have such loving brothers or furious that they were far too overly protective.

Now, however, she contemplated ratting Ash out so they'd make good on their threat. But that would be too easy. Misty wanted to throw Ash into the shark tank herself.

"C'mon Misty, level with us. We're not like your sisters and won't go on and on about…well, everything," Pyro said.

Misty managed to laugh at this before her face turned solemn once more. She let out a sigh then told her brother-in-laws about the pictures in the _Cerulean Sun_ and how Serena had neglected to tell her which led to the weird reporter asking her questions about something she didn't know.

"This whole thing is just so…so confusing and frustrating! I feel so stupid!"

"You're not stupid Mist," Rainer said.

"You don't know what's going on and just because you didn't see the pictures beforehand, doesn't make you stupid. It just means you have faith in Ash," Sparky explained.

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Wow. This is the perfect chance to turn Ash into shark bait and you're actually defending him?"

Sparky shrugged and leaned back against the wall with a grin. "Yeah well, he's come to grow on me these past few years. He's much better than that oddball you dated for a while in college."

"AJ?" Rainer asked looking up at his older brother.

"Yup," Sparky confirmed. "Man, I mean I know it's great to stay fit and be disciplined but that guy was just too much."

"Who's AJ?"

"Oh, he's before you and Lily got married," Sparky explained.

"What was he like?" Pyro asked.

Sparky and Rainer starting talking simultaneously when Misty called out, "Hello. My problem?" while pointing to herself.

"Oh right, right."

Rainer patted Misty's hand that rested on the desktop. "Look Mist. I know you probably want us to kill Ash. Hell you probably want to kill him yourself but you need to wait until you can speak to him yourself."

"Yeah but –"

"Do you trust him?" Pyro asked.

"I…yeah I do but there's still this nagging feeling I have. I mean I know I have no reason to doubt Ash. I should believe in his faithfulness one-hundred percent but then I think of those pictures and Serena not telling me and I get so upset all over again and want to tear someone's head off!"

"Misty!" Sparky said, grabbing her shoulders and leaning down so that they were at eye-to-eye. "Calm yourself. Rainy's right. You have to wait until you speak to him yourself. Sitting around fretting and over-thinking will get you nowhere."

"Exactly. Just breathe and you'll see that everything will work itself out."

"I suppose," Misty said slowly, looking from one brother-in-law to the next. Then she nodded to herself and said more firmly, "You're right. I'm just wasting precious time worrying. I'll simply confront Ash when I see him this weekend!"

"That's my girl!" Sparky crowed and ruffled her hair so that it stuck out every which way.

"Sparky!"

For the next few minutes, her brother-in-laws joked around, messing up her hair and teasing her. Misty was glad that they had come in when they did and couldn't ever imagine having better brothers.

_Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world I wanna be the one to walk in the sun_

_ Serena _her phone read.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Sparky asked.

_Oh girls just wanna have Oh girls just wanna have fun That's all they really want_

"Misty it's your best friend," Rainer said, picking up the phone that sat on the desk.

Misty crossed her arms. "I don't really feel like talking to her right now."

Rainer shrugged then put the phone back down.

A few minutes later, her ringtone sounded again and this time Misty silenced it. She knew she was acting puerile but really, it shouldn't have been that difficult of a decision to just have called Misty a few days ago and tell her about the pictures.

"Why don't you just talk to her?" Pyro urged when the phone rang for the third time. "She's your best friend."

"And maybe it's something important," Rainer added.

"Plus –"

"Arg! Fine!" Misty exclaimed and swiped her phone. Had she really just been thinking good thoughts about her brother-in-laws a few moments ago?

"What?" Misty barked out as soon as she picked up.

"Look Misty, I'm sorry for what I did or rather, what I didn't do but we have a bigger problem," Serena said in a shaky voice and Misty immediately paid attention.

"Rena? What happened?"

"It's Duplica."

IDOID

Ash and the cab driver had finally managed to evade the media and Jessiebelle. At least for the time being. Now he was relaxed and on his way to his mother's house. He wanted to go to his place first but his mother had insisted she see him before doing anything else. The bribe to cook his favorite dishes helped.

As Ash imagined the many mouth-watering foods his mother mentioned she was preparing, his phone rang. He recognized it as the ringtone for his friends and immediately pulled the cell out of his pocket.

"Hey Serena!" he said into the phone in a slightly nervous tone. He knew that she usually read magazines more frequently than Misty did so there was a chance the woman was calling to berate Ash. Or quite possibly warn him that Misty was already prepared to throw her ring in his face.

"Ash," she said in a tone he couldn't quite identify. "Good. You're back."

"Yes. I am," he said cautiously.

"I've been trying to get in touch with you for days."

Ash gulped. "Oh. Really? Sorry about that. I was busy but I swear I meant to call you back."

"Yeah right. Anyways, we'll talk about that later. Right now I called to tell you that Duplica's in the hospital in Viridian. Todd's with her and we're on our way from Cerulean. I know this is a lot to taken in suddenly since you probably just got off the plane but Todd asked me to tell everyone."

"You're all headed to Viridian right now?"

"Yes. I'm waiting for Ritchie and Misty. You don't have to come because I'm sure you're tired but I wanted to make sure you knew."

"Is…do you know if Duplica's okay? The baby?"

"We…we don't know yet. Todd hasn't called back. Anyways, Ritchie's calling me. Bye."

After Serena hung up, Ash thought for a second then tapped the cab driver on the shoulder.

"I need you to take me to Viridian Hospital."

"What? Do you know how far that is? I only provide service inside Pallet."

"I'll pay you triple the amount it would normally cost to get there."

"Did you say Viridian Hospital? Psh we'll be there in no time at all!"

IDOID

Gary hadn't felt like this in a long time. He felt like he was no longer on Earth but in some sort of alternate dimension where all he could feel was pure bliss and satisfaction. His eyes were closed and his arms were wrapped around a lithe body that pressed against him. He felt Ivy take hold of his hand that rested on the small of her back and direct it onto her neck then further down into her robe.

Before she could direct the hand any further or let it wander on its own, a distinct ringing sounded. The woman on top of him moaned in irritation at being disturbed but the ringing persisted. It was that ringing noise that suddenly jolted Gary out of the odd dimension he was in and haul him back to reality.

He opened his eyes, splayed his fingers on Ivy's shoulders and shoved her off with as much force as he could muster without causing her to fly across the room. She toppled off of him and onto the floor.

"What the!" she shouted, her auburn hair sticking out in all directions and robe half open. Gary stared down at her and let out a sarcastic laugh. "I cannot believe it. You almost got me again."

Ivy pulled herself onto the couch. "What are you talking about? I thought –"

Gary held up a hand. "I know what you thought. And here's what I think: I'm done with you."

"Gary. I'm confused. We were just getting to know each other again," she said, trying to crawl over but Gary jumped up and stood so that he was across from her.

"I was confused too. For a moment. Just when we were kissing. But you know, you're wrong. We weren't just getting to know each other again. Knowing someone doesn't just mean jumping straight into a physical relationship. And because of you and what you did to my head, messing it all up, that's the only kinds I've had. But no more," Gary said, his voice perfectly even. He knew that he had to keep his anger in check. He was almost thirty, no longer a child and he would not lose control. Never again. And not because of this woman.

A phone rang again and Gary now realized it was coming from inside the bedroom. That reminded him to check his own cell which he had turned to silent mode, thinking he had some sort of hot date. Ha. What a disappointment this turned out to be.

Ten missed calls? Gary scrolled down the list. Serena had called him four times, Misty once, Ritchie once, Ash once, then Serena three more times.

What was going on? Forgetting that Ivy was still sitting on the couch, staring at him teary-eyed, he quickly pressed the number '2' to speed-dial Serena.

"Gary? Gary where the hell were you? I called you a million times!" Serena shouted as soon as the connection went through.

"I'm sorry. I was a little occupied. But I'm done with that now. What's going on?"

"Gary," she said, her voice now switching from anger to worry. "Duplica's in the hospital. All I know is that she fainted so Ritchie, Misty, and I are headed there right now."

"From Cerulean? Where is she? Viridian Hospital?"

"Yes."

Gary made a split decision. "Okay I'll be there too."

"Really?" Serena said and Gary detected the tinge of hopefulness in her voice. And at that moment, he felt an unfamiliar pull somewhere inside his ribcage. His lungs? His heart? Maybe a kidney. He was nearing thirty but wasn't old. He hoped he wasn't going to have early heart problems. He was definitely too young for such a thing.

"Will it make you feel better if I come?"

Serena said nothing for a moment.

Then finally he heard a faint "Yes," and Gary felt that pull again. Shoot. Maybe he could get Ritchie to recommend a cardiologist for him. But that was later. Right now his friends needed him to be there with them.

Gary said goodbye to Serena then made his way to the front, completely ignoring Ivy.

"Gary," she said as he reached the door. He didn't turn. "Gary, who was that on the phone?"

"One of my best friends."

"It was a girl. I could hear her voice."

"Yeah, so?"

"So she calls and you go rushing straight to her side?"

This time, Gary turned. "One of our friends happens to be in the hospital so of course I'm rushing over there. We all are. But I wouldn't expect you to know anything about that."

"You still owe me," Ivy said.

"What?"

He couldn't believe this. Had she not listened to a word he had said?

"I paid a lot of money for you and we didn't have a proper date. It wasn't worth ten-thousand dollars so if you don't go on a date with me later, I'm going to have to call the nice lady who was in charge of the bachelor auction and complain. You seemed to be fairly good friends with her so I'm sure she can arrange things for us."

Gary gritted his teeth at Ivy's words and contemplated what to do. He had absolutely no desire to drag Serena in the middle of this stupidity nor did he even want her to know about Ivy. At all. Only one choice left.

"One date. I will contact you after I know my friend is okay. After that, you leave me the hell alone."

IDOID

The sun had set by the time Ritchie, Misty, and Serena pulled into the Viridian Hospital parking lot. They had unfortunately gotten stuck in traffic which prolonged their journey and no one could get through to Todd. To say that they were at their wits end with worry was an understatement.

All three practically leapt out of the car and hurried in through the sliding glass doors.

"What floor is she on?" Misty asked as they headed towards the elevators.

"OBG-YN floor?" Serena guessed.

"But if she fainted, shouldn't she be in the ER?" Misty wondered.

They looked to Ritchie who sighed. "Let's just go ask reception to look her up. She really could be anywhere and it's best that we don't run around the entire hospital."

The two women followed Ritchie back towards front of the hospital when they saw a familiar face rushing in. He spotted them as well and quickly came over.

"You actually made it!" Misty said with a small smile.

Gary nodded and gave her a quick hug. He turned to Serena and the two stared at one another for a moment before Gary enveloped her in a hug too. Misty temporarily forgot to worry about Duplica and watched with interest as Gary whispered something in Serena's ear and rubbed her back while she nodded. He let her go and Misty was sorely tempted to comment on her friend's red face.

"So, how's she?" Gary asked, his forehead creased with worry.

"We don't know yet," Misty responded with a sigh. "Have you talked to Todd? We can't get in touch with him."

Gary shook his head. "No sorry. The only one I've spoken to is Little Maria here."

"What is taking Ritchie so long?" Serena asked, looking towards the reception desk where Ritchie was now holding some sort of card out to the lady in the seat.

They waited a few moments in silence when Ritchie returned, looking triumphant. "Fourth floor."

As they went to the elevators, Serena asked, "Why did it take so long?"

"They're tight on security and didn't want to tell me," Ritchie explained as they stepped into the elevator. "I showed them I'm from Cerulean Hospital."

"And?"

"They told me. The advantages of being a doctor."

"Very nice," Gary commented.

The doors opened to the fourth floor and the group stepped out. Ritchie pointed down a hall and they followed him until he stopped at a door. Under the number 409 were the names Lee and Snap.

"This is the room," Ritchie said, motioning them in. "But don't be too loud since there's another patient here."

Cautiously, they filed in. Misty bit her bottom lip nervously, unsure of what to expect. The only information they had was that Duplica had fainted. What her condition was now, what the condition of the baby inside her was, they had no idea. Throughout the car ride, several different horrifying scenarios had traipsed through her mind and it was only when Ritchie reasoned that Duplica had probably fainted from stress did her worry lessen.

But not by much.

As they approached the curtain that divided the tiny entrance hall from the rest of the room, Misty's worries returned. Ritchie motioned for them to wait a moment as he stuck his head through the space between the curtain and wall.

"Todd?" he whispered.

The curtain slid open to reveal Duplica's half of the room. Misty's eyes drifted from Todd's grief-stricken red-eyed face to the gently sleeping woman on the hospital bed. As though they were all thinking the same thing, Misty, Serena, Gary, and Ritchie let out a relieved sigh.

"Hey," Todd said.

"How – how is she?" Serena asked tentatively.

Todd glanced over at his wife then motioned for them to follow him out of the room. He led them to a small waiting room at the corner of the hall.

"Thanks for coming," Todd finally said, turning to face his friends.

Misty waved a hand. "You two would do the same for any of us. Now, please Todd, I'm begging you, tell us how she is. We tried calling you several times. How is the baby?"

A look of guilt flashed over Todd's face. "Sorry. My battery died. But um," he sighed and took a seat. "She's fine and so is our baby."

"Oh thank goodness," Serena said collapsing into a seat across from Todd. Gary sat beside her and Misty and Ritchie flanked Todd.

"So what happened?" Ritchie asked.

Todd looked up at the ceiling then slowly let out a stream of breath through his lips. He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it a bit before lowering his hands and looking down at his feet. "It's all my fault. It's all my fault."

Misty placed a hand on Todd's shoulder. "What is Todd?"

"This! Us being here," Todd said waving a hand around to indicate the waiting room. "The doctor told me she fainted because of stress."

"And that's your fault how?" Gary asked.

"I should've been more firm whenever she wanted to go out and buy food," Todd said in what he thought was an explanation but the others stared at him blankly. He continued, not catching on to their confusion. "She's a stubborn one and she wants to do everything herself and I just let her! Then today was the worst."

Here he paused and Misty rubbed his arm encouragingly. "We got into a huge fight and that's what caused her to faint. And it's all my fault. I could have lost my wife…my child…because I'm a terrible husband!"

Todd let his head drop into his hands. "My fault! I almost killed her!"

"Todd it is not your fault!" Misty said, shaking his shoulders.

"She's right," Serena added. "It happens, you know? Couples fight. You can't help that."

"Plus, the doctor said it was stress right?" Ritchie reminded him. "I worked in the obstetrics ward for weeks. Women tend to get overstressed in general and pregnant women even more so. It's a very common matter."

"Exactly," Gary chimed in, even though he didn't really know. "It's not your fault man."

Slowly, Todd lifted his head. "I still can't help but feel that it is my fault. The argument…I started it. And it escalated until she just…if you all had seen her eyes looking into mine just before she fell right there on the kitchen floor…I've – I've never been more terrified in my entire life."

Misty patted Todd on the shoulder once more as Gary reassured Todd that he did the right thing in bringing Duplica to the hospital and that he was an excellent husband. Serena was nodding along and Ritchie began to ask about the details of Duplica's condition.

It was in the middle of Todd's description that a figure burst into the waiting room shouting, "Where's Duplica? Is she okay?"

All eyes looked up at the tousle-haired Ash who stood in the doorway clutching a giant teddy bear wearing a tie-dye shirt that said GET WELL SOON.

What was he doing here? Hadn't Serena said Ash wasn't coming? Misty thought, eyes darting between her best friend and fiancé frantically. She wasn't ready to confront him just yet! Luckily, she was saved from breaking the silence.

Serena spoke first, standing up at the same time. "What are you doing here Ash?"

Ash let his eyes and brain register the faces in front of him before he responded. "I…yeah after I got off the phone with you, I told my cab to bring me straight here."

"Didn't you just get back from Spain?" Ritchie asked incredulously.

Ash nodded. He walked over and dumped the bear onto Todd's lap. "Sorry about my appearance buddy," he said, gesturing to his wrinkled clothing. "Anyways, how is Duplica?"

The others, except Misty, quickly filled him in as he took a seat beside Gary. At the end of the explanation, minus Todd's woeful monologue of his wife's fainting being his fault, Ash smiled and leaned back into his chair.

"I'm glad," he said.

"Glad?" Todd asked skeptically. "You're glad that Duplica fainted?"

"No you idiot. I'm glad she and the baby are okay. You have no idea what crazy ideas were going through my mind on the way here. I think the cab driver when I finally got out."

"I can only imagine," Ritchie said with a small grin. He jerked a thumb at Misty then pointed to Serena. "These two could probably rival your crazy ideas."

"I'll bet," Ash said sharing a laugh with Ritchie and as his laughter died down, he slowly lifted his eyes to meet Misty's.

She held her breathe, wondering if he had seen his shameful photos then quickly reprimanded herself for jumping to conclusions. She would be an adult about this. She would take charge and not turn things into a soap opera while they were in the hospital of all places.

"Hey Mist," Ash said finally. "I'm back from Spain."

"So I see," Misty replied, not really sure what else to say. The last time she had spoken to Ash was before he had gotten onto the airplane and before she had seen pictures. She had imagined their reunion to be joyful, perhaps with her leaping into his arms and giving him a big kiss.

Clearly the latter would be a bit inappropriate given their location but besides that, the desire to do anything but give Ash a swift kick in the shins was gone.

Serena bit her lips and was about to suggest that she and Misty go take a peek at Duplica when Ritchie stood up.

"Hey I'm going to go outside and make a quick call to Melody. Let her know that 'plica's okay."

Todd nodded. "That's fine. I'm going to go check in on Duplica. You all catch up with Ash and feel free to come into the room whenever. I'll be back in a bit."

The two men left the waiting room, unknowing that they had actually been the buffer between Misty's fury and Ash's denseness. Serena sensed the growing wrath of Misty with trepidation and a quick glance at Ash told her that he had a vague notion of the coming onslaught. He just had no idea how it would come or how to deflect it.

Misty, meanwhile, was now considering her possibilities of how to inform Ash that she wanted answers immediately without jumping across the space between their chairs and strangling it out of him. With their audience being only Serena and Gary, she felt much more comfortable with bringing up the subject of the photos now than before.

She knew she could wait until they were alone and not in a place where sick people were taken care of, but after the revelation of the photos hours ago, Duplica's fainting, and now seeing Ash before she was mentally prepared, reason would have to take a backseat.

Misty looked to the small table in the center of the room and saw a copy of the _Sun_. She carefully stood and took the few steps over to the table. Leaning down, she picked up the magazine and pretended to flip through it.

"So um…Mist. No hug and kiss for your man?" Ash asked with a chuckle.

Gary, who still had absolutely no clue about the photographs laughed and said, "You left her too long. She found someone else."

"Uh huh."

"Actually," Misty said, turning on her heels and walking slowly towards her fiancé who was now grinning nervously at her. "I think it's the opposite way around."

She opened the magazine to page 51 and flung it in Ash's lap. "What the hell is this Ash?"

"Oh no," Serena mouthed, the words barely escaping her lips as her gaze darted fearfully to Misty's face.

"What's going on?" Gary whispered but Serena covered his mouth, shaking her head, eyes wide.

Misty continued to stare daggers down at Ash who's mind was racing, trying to think of how to explain the photos that he knew lay exposed in a spread on the magazine pages without even having to look down. Still, he picked up the magazine and looked. They were the same photos that he had seen on Jessiebelle's phone.

Ash sighed. "Misty, it's not what you think."

"Oh really?" Misty said crossing her arms, face twisted into a scowl. "Then do tell me what it is."

"I know this looks bad."

"No? Really?"

"Can you please let me explain?"

"What's going on?" Gary repeated loudly. Ash rolled his eyes and threw him the magazine without taking his eyes off Misty.

"Is this what you were freaking out on me about earlier Little Maria?" Gary asked quietly to Serena, pointing to the photos.

She nodded. "I didn't know what to do but now it's too late."

They looked towards Ash and Misty who now seemed to be having a staring contest and appeared to not have heard a word uttered by their best friends.

"So who is she Ash?" Misty asked, struggling to keep her voice calm and forgetting all about the promise to herself to not be accusatory.

Ash sighed. "Just listen to me, okay and don't jump to conclusions. She's a girl I met who got a little too drunk and I was just helping her out."

"By taking her back to your hotel room?"

"Yes but only because I didn't know where she was staying."

"Even better."

Ash let out a low growl of irritation. "Nothing happened!"

"I didn't say it did."

"But you assume it did."

"I'm not assuming anything," Misty replied haughtily, crossing her arms tightly.

Ash reciprocated by folding his own arms. "Look, I met Mayaka at a bar. We talked, she got drunk and the poor girl had passed out. I couldn't just leave her alone, could I?"

"Serena, make a note of her name, Mayaka," Misty said, not taking her eyes off Ash.

Serena nodded meekly and whispered to Gary, "I hope we don't get dragged into this."

"What do you mean?" he whispered back.

"I hope we don't have to take sides."

"If we did, clearly we're siding with Misty," Gary reasoned.

"I thought you'd side with Ash."

"Nah, where's the fun in that?"

Serena sighed.

Meanwhile, Misty was grilling Ash on Mayaka. "Who is she and what does she do?"

Ash made the mistake of actually responding. "She's a teacher in Pewter so she's actually from Kanto."

"And you just happened to go on a date with her in Spain?"

"It wasn't a date!"

"Then how come no one else could take her home?" Misty inquired raising an eyebrow.

Ash let out a frustrated sigh. "Because all the other people had left. Only Oscar, Mayaka and I were left."

"So why couldn't Oscar take her?" Misty asked not missing a beat.

"Because he was passed out underneath the table. And before you ask what happened to Oscar, I left him there for his girlfriend to pick him up."

"Oh." Misty bit her bottom lip. Then, "Why didn't you send Mayaka home with the girlfriend?"

"Do I have to stand here and go through every detail of that night with you?" Ash asked, his voice now rising in anger.

Misty uncrossed her arms and pointed to the magazine now lying on the floor facedown. "You are shown clearly taking a woman to your apartment and then clearly waving goodbye to her the next morning. Without a shirt. And she is wearing the same thing as the night before. And you think you don't have some decent detailed explaining to do?"

"I always sleep without my shirt when it's hot! But you know that."

"You could be on the freaking sun and you should still keep your shirt on in front of a girl you just met! Especially in your hotel room miles away from home."

Ash threw up his hands. "You know what? I am not having this conversation. I cannot believe that you actually think I cheated on you."

"I never said that," Misty denied, not sure what to think anymore. She never truly suspected Ash of cheating but her lingering doubts would be diminished if only Ash would cooperate and just tell her every exact thing that happened. But no, he had to be all male and tell the story in jolted pieces that only deepened her anger.

"You don't have to say it Misty," Ash said. "Why else would you be giving me the third-degree? I am exhausted. I got off the plane and had to escape the paparazzi. Then I head straight here. I haven't eaten or rested in hours and now my fiancé thinks I'm lying."

"Well what else am I supposed to think?" Misty burst out loudly. "You refuse to give me details. If you just told me things would be a lot simpler."

"You should just trust me regardless of the details!" Ash shouted back.

"Of course I trust you but I still want to know everything!"

"I am not your toy that you can order around and know everything about!"

"I don't want to know everything all the time! Just this one incident so that I know exactly what happened."

"And why is that? Because you think I cheated!"

"I do not think you cheated! I just think – well whatever. But you should just tell me anyways!"

"No! You should trust me!"

As the argument continued, with Serena and Gary looking back and forth between them like they were spectators at a ping-pong tournament, Misty and Ash failed to notice that their voices had increased several decibels in volume.

It wasn't until the moment where Misty was in the middle of explaining to Ash that she had to find out from some reporter that the doorway to the waiting room was suddenly occupied by a very irate and red-faced nurse.

"Excuse me," the nurse thundered. "This is a hospital, not the set of a soap opera."

All heads turned to stare at the giant of a man who glowered at the belligerent couple.

"You're a –" Ash began without thought when the nurse interrupted him with "Yes. A male nurse. And you are about to be kicked out of the hospital."

Misty felt her cheeks burn. "I am so incredibly sorry. I really do apologize for the disturbance. I promise, it won't happen again."

The nurse grunted. "See that it doesn't."

He disappeared and the light from the hallway once more shone in. Misty turned back to Ash and hissed, "I cannot believe we just got reprimanded. By a male nurse!"

"If you hadn't started –"

"What are you guys doing in here?" Ritchie interrupted walking briskly into the room with a frown. "I leave to make a phone call and come back to hear that giant male nurse telling another nurse about the soap opera going on in here."

Misty crossed her arms and plunked down in a chair. Ash did the same only on the opposite side of the room. Neither answered Ritchie's question. Though Misty and Serena had just spent the last two hours in the car with Ritchie, they hadn't divulged any details of the photo incident in attempts to not blow the situation out of proportion.

Clearly that attempt had failed now.

"Fine. Don't tell me. I don't really care to know right now," Ritchie said, sitting across from Serena and Gary. He motioned for Misty to move closer to him. "Look, I completely forgot until I was talking to Melody but I have to volunteer at the free clinic tomorrow."

"Okay?" Serena said.

"Tomorrow early morning."

"Oh." Serena looked down at her watch. It was almost nine and it would take two hours to get back. Maybe an hour and a half with the light nighttime traffic.

Ritchie nodded. "So we need to leave soon. I know we were thinking of staying overnight since tomorrow's Saturday but that's not possible anymore."

"I understand," Misty said with a sigh. "I'm just glad we were able to at least come and check on Duplica."

"I want to go in and see her before we leave though," Serena said, standing up. Misty followed suit.

"Wait a minute," Gary said. "Why don't you just stay? I can get you rooms at The Oak Hotel here."

Serena shook her head. "Gary, I can't afford The Oak."

He stood up and flicked her cheek lightly. "Stupid. I'd never make you pay."

"Gary, that's sweet but we can't accept that. It's too much!"

"Just shut up and take the offer. Think of it like crashing at my place. I know you want to stick around in Viridian to make sure Duplica's alright and since it's the weekend, why not? I'm staying too and Ash can also stay," Gary said, looking between his friends.

Ash mentioned that on the way over, he had actually dropped his luggage off at the hotel which helped Gary's case in convincing Serena to remain in Viridian for the night.

After a few more words, they had decided that Ritchie would leave in a while and the others would go with Gary to The Oak. Misty and Ash managed to avoid talking or looking directly at each other throughout the conversation while Serena tried to get rid of the tension by being extra cheery. Gary had no clue what to do so he pretended everything was fine. Ritchie was not in the mood to discuss his friends' lack of etiquette in the waiting room so he ignored the dramatic atmosphere altogether.

Just as their plans for the night finalized, Todd came into the waiting room. He coughed before informing them that visiting hours would be over soon.

"That's fine," Misty said and explained to Todd that everyone but Ritchie would remain in Viridian.

"You know, the only useful one is leaving," Gary pointed out.

"Oh. That's true," Ritchie said with a grin.

"Hey we can be useful too," Serena said with a small pout. "We provide moral support. At least Misty and I do." She turned to Todd. "If you need anything between now and before we come back tomorrow, you let us know okay?"

Todd nodded with another cough. Misty frowned and held the back of her hand to Todd's forehead. "Good no fever." She looked the photographer over and asked, "Todd, when did you last eat?"

"Um. I don't know," he responded sheepishly.

Serena placed her hands on her hips. "Todd Snap. How do you expect to take care of our friend and future niece if you yourself pass out from fatigue and starvation?"

"You mean future nephew," Gary corrected holding up a finger. "I think the first-born in this group should definitely be a boy."

"Whatever. Point is, my little niece needs her daddy to be strong."

"Yeah, I know," Todd said. "It's just that –"

"Ah ah," Misty said holding up a hand. "We don't want to hear it. You go to the cafeteria right now."

Ritchie threw an arm around Todd's shoulder. "I'll go too. I didn't eat after I got off work. Anyone else?"

Ash said he too was hungry or maybe it was a combination of that and his want to get away from Misty, so the three men headed off in search of food while the others remained. But before they could leave, Misty and Serena had to further coax a still-agitated Todd that he would not be a bad husband if he went to nourish himself while his wife slept in a hospital bed. Misty and Ash had yet to exchange words directly which luckily for Todd, he failed to notice.

Now with half their party gone, Misty and Serena exited the waiting room with Gary. As they approached room 409, Misty's phone went off. She glanced at it and sighed.

"It's my sister. I'll go take this in the waiting room. You two go ahead," she said and walked off.

Serena nodded and entered the room. She and Gary cautiously stood beside the bed, staring down at Duplica. Her chest rose up and down steadily. Serena reached out and smoothed a few strands of her friend's hair.

"I'm glad she and the baby are okay," Gary said in a low voice.

Serena sat down in the chair that was pulled up to the bed. "Me too. I – I never imagined this could happen, you know? We've known each other since we were fourteen."

"Yeah. Yeah I know."

They sat in silence for a few moments, each silently thankful for their friend's safety and praying that no other incident like this would happen. Serena would let out an occasional sigh as her eyes remained on her high school friend's sleeping form until Gary stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders gently.

"So, um," Serena started with a slight clearing of her throat as Gary started playing with strands of her hair. "Out of curiosity, what happened with your auction date?"

His fingers stopped moving, the black strands that were curled around his pointers unwinding to fall back over her shoulders. "Eh. Not much. It wasn't anything special."

"What? She paid ten-thousand for you and it wasn't anything special? What happened?" Serena asked, leaning back against the chair and tilting her head so she was looking up at Gary.

He shrugged and pushed her head upright. "Like I said, not much."

"C'mon. As your love coach, shouldn't I know?"

"No," he said and resumed playing with her hair. "Not when I already decide it's over. You're supposed to be helping find a girl for me. Not hear about the ones I reject."

Serena rolled her eyes, trying very hard to ignore the fingers that she could feel were attempting to braid part of her hair. "Fine. But you know," she said thoughtfully. "How am I supposed to help you if I don't even know what your type is?"

"I guess that's a very good point," Gary said. "And I hope you have de-tangler. I might have messed up this braid."

Serena pulled her head away from Gary's hands and ran her own hand through her hair. Sure enough, as they were combing down the tresses, they halted at a large knot. "Thank you," she said tonelessly.

Gary pulled over a second chair that was positioned by the wall over and sat down. "You're welcome."

"So," Serena said while slowly un-doing Gary's mess. "Your type?"

"I have to think."

"Try not to strain your brain."

"How original."

"Just think."

After a minute, Gary spoke. "Does type mean I have to tell you, I want the model type or I want the librarian type, or can I just list off qualities?"

"Just list off qualities," Serena replied in slight exasperation. "Also, if you ever have a daughter, don't you dare go near her hair. Ever."

"Yeah yeah. So qualities," Gary said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Okay. Well. She's got to be pretty."

"I was expecting you to say hot."

Gary shrugged. "That's the type I've always dated so I figured I should stay away from that because they're the ones after my money."

"Fair enough. Continue."

"Definitely smart. I don't want some dumb trophy wife, you know? I have a company to run that's based on science and technology afterall."

"Another good one," Serena commented, not looking at Gary and instead keeping her eyes trained somewhere off to the side as she continued working her fingers through the hair knot.

Gary cleared his throat. "Fun. She has to be fun to be with. And argue with. And fun to tease. And I wouldn't mind if she was a little, I don't know, reserved at times. Maybe even just slightly shy when its necessary but outspoken if needed."

"Uh huh."

"Oh and imaginative and creative! And unafraid of adventure. I like to go hiking and take trips and travel to different places. I need someone who can be flexible and adapt and willing to work with me at my side."

"Sure."

"And understanding. She should be able to understand me and I should understand her. And honest and cute in her comfortable clothing. And –"

"Stop!" Serena exclaimed without shouting as Gary became more and more excited. "We are not programming a robot. You can never find everything you want in one person," she continued, finally releasing the strands of her hair. "Most of your list basically describes a good and decent type of girl."

"So it does."

Serena combed her fingers through her hair once more. "The most important thing is that you two have to understand and know one another like you said."

"Right," Gary responded with a nod. "Okay so great. Now you know what I want."

"Looks like it."

Gary patted Serena on the arm. "So good luck with finding someone for me!"

"Thanks."

A few moments of silence passed before Gary scratched the side of his neck and said, "Listen, I think I'm going to go find the guys. I'm a little hungry myself."

"You skipped lunch again didn't you?"

Gary grinned as he stood up. "Guilty."

"You really need to stop doing that."

"At least I eat breakfast."

"Coffee does not count as breakfast Gary."

"Hey! That's only on –"

"The days you're running late. Yeah I know. Okay go already before they close the cafeteria," Serena said with a small laugh, shoving Gary in the back.

He chuckled. "Going going. Want me to bring you back a brownie or something?"

Serena bit her bottom lip as she considered what options might be available as a snack. "Just surprise me I guess. But –"

" – nothing with fruit-filling and no salt and vinegar chips right?"

Serena looked up with wide eyes. Gary shot her a grin as he stood by the curtain. "Hey I know your eating habits just as well as you know mine. See you in a bit!"

And with a wave of his hand, he disappeared behind the curtain, leaving a slightly bewildered young teacher staring after the flapping of the beige fabric.

*****Author's Note*****

And there you have it! Have what? Well the confrontation between Ash and Misty, Round 1 which ended in a draw…sorta. Round 2 coming up in Chapter 13! Will there be a Round 3? Stick around to find out! ^_^ No preview this time but I still hope you all come back! And I know this chapter is a bit heavy on the drama but I tried to throw in a little bit of humor and fluff too. Don't worry the proper romantic comedy stuff will be back once Misty and Ash realize they're both being idiots. ^^

**Review Responses: **

_AzureKite4_: I actually had created the model character before figuring out who I wanted her to be when Jessiebelle popped into my head! She's definitely crazy…As for Gary, well let's just say that I do have a lot in store for him in terms of his love issues. You never know what's gonna happen! ^^ Hehe glad the Forrest/Melody interaction made you laugh. You know, I think because Ritchie is the Ash clone and Melody liked Ash, that's why I randomly put them together in my head a long time ago.

_Munchlax Jr:_ Hi! I know I've been terrible at updates. There's a lot more going on summer than last but I am gonna keep going with this! Ash and Gary are both in some interesting situations which are only going to get better (or worse depending. Hehe). Aww yeah writing good romance can be hard. I personally can't write action very well. Even humor doesn't always come that easily. (Btw I like being called onee-chan. Heh) ^^

_Varunus_: Well you know how hard-headed Misty is and she's shown that aspect of her in this fic! (Haha I talk like I didn't make her do that.) And Gary and his surprise lady friend…well lets just say if Serena knew the truth it would make things veeerry interesting.

_Thank you so much_: Haha that's awesome that you read my fic so early in the morning! (If I don't have work, I stay in bed till as last as possible too. Heh) Aw and don't worry about reviewing the wrong chapter. It happens even to us oldies. ^_~ Btw, welcome to ! It's an addictive world! Wow so I totally missed the Felina on Ivy's profile. Haha. Well…too late to change it now! But thanks for pointing it out. ^^ And Ivy and Gary…well clearly now we know that Gary does not like her so don't fret! …for now.

_Amazingly awesome person_: I updated! Super duper late but man it's busy. I'm really going to try to update sooner next time. Jessiebelle is Jessie's "clone." She's the crazy Jessie look-a-like who was engaged to James in the series. Not sayin if she's a part of Rocketing Innovations or not tho. ^_^

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: Ah I can definitely picture Misty hunting down all the girls who've been after Ash but not before beating him up first. And no I'm not sick anymore (otherwise that'd be a really long sickness!) but I did have a lot of family stuff. Hopefully I can update more regularly again.

_GGDeimos_: LOL. Yeah Ivy and Gary's relationship isn't what you'd call a healthy one, especially if they were their anime ages (icky). In my fic she's about five years older so not too bad but yeah still weird I agree…Haha yeah I feel bad for Ash too but he's just so much fun to put into all these situations!

_Ronmione x3_: Well Ash didn't really explain all that well did he? Haha.

_poka_: LOL you pretty much nailed it! Misty was right up on his case though she did give him some chance to explain. He's a pretty stubborn one too at times.

_shut up and read or go away_: Thank you! But sorry…no Misty slapping Ash…at least not now. ^_~ Hope you liked this chapter!

_licoricejellybean_: Hi! I'm always happy to update! (Tho I'd be happier if I could update more often). Well you won't have to kill Ivy just yet since Gary's managed to ward her off. For now. Dun dun dun! You know, I hadn't originally planned on putting in Jessiebelle. I had simply written the scene with Ash and the model and then Jessiebelle popped into my head later. Fit perfectly! ^^

_Lotusnapper_: Yup Gary and his past love but he's gotten rid of that now! Or so we think…^^ Unfortunately as we saw in this chapter, Ash didn't really get to explain properly to Misty…or rather, he didn't want to. And so the drama continues for this troublesome couple! Thank you for your compliments. Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

_Guibin_: Yeah I saw that muuuch later when another reader pointed it out. Whoops. Haha. I wish you all didn't have to have such a long wait for updates. Unfortunately things keep popping up this summer. Grr. I'm hoping once school starts, I can have a consistent schedule…As for Jessiebelle, yeah I didn't give much description about her on purpose…I couldn't find the right Pokemon character to match with the model character until the last moment and then I didn't think of adding any other descriptions. Thanks for pointing that out tho!

_StrawberryStoleYourCookie_: You and _licoricejellybean_ should tag-team destroy Ivy. But not yet because I still need her! I hope you enjoyed the little Gary/Serena I put in at the end of this chapter. ^_~

_Random-Leafy-Spirit_: Ooh giddy and scared is an interesting combo! How did this chapter make you feel? Hmm..Jesse and James…well I haven't yet decided how I want them to appear. They might. Maybe I'll bring them in a little just for you. ^_~ You may have to wait though because I don't want them to appear just yet. But yes James is awesome!

_bluejay511_: Don't worry though, the drama will soon pass. Or so our dear readers hope…Hehe.

_Athletic nerd:_ Your french is pardoned. ^^ I don't particularly like drama too much either but every once in a while, it's good to have. But it won't be too heavy for too much longer. Just hang on! I'm glad you're enjoying it enough to be speechless and in shock! Telling me that makes it a great review!

_s.a.e.i.a.-e.u.c.a:_ Yes please keep punching Mr. Rubber Wallie and not the characters you want to kill cause I still need them! Haha…I'm glad you didn't mind the curses. Like you said, I want to keep it realistic and I can't really imagine a real man standing there and being like well oh darn. Lol…Forrest is Brock's younger brother who becomes gym leader after him. So you were on the right track about him! Forrest should probably start running now to avoid being your victim!...Yup Jessiebelle is the crazy one who is James' fiancé. Not Jessie. Jessie is WAY cooler. Thanks for your review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Chika Hoshi_: Yup Ivy and Gary! Though in this chapter we see Gary finally breaking away from that. For now…dun dun dun!...They never did mention in the show or anywhere else why exactly Brock acted odd when Ivy's name was mentioned. I personally think she played him just like she did Gary in this fic but that's just my hypothesis…Haha yes Ash is so much fun to put in trouble. Muahaha! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Hermione Misty Sonezaki_: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and hopefully this chapter lived up to the intrigue from the preview! ^^

_BowlingStar08_: Aw it's okay! I'm just glad to see you back. ^^ I never thought I'd bring Forrest into the story either until I did some extensive Bulbapedia research for just the right male character to be Ritchie's rival. I never actually saw the episodes with him in it but hopefully I do him justice!...Oh man Jessiebelle's voice….*cringes* ugh…Well Gary has come to his senses in this chapter! But *voice changes to the Pokemon narrator voice* how long can Gary keep himself out of Ivy's clutches? Tune in next time to find out!

_Epicocity_: Yes the tension builds and continues to build! It is good to be vaguely logical. ^^ I've always found that logic helps me in many situations (provided I'm smart about it. Haha). And wow a math major? Nice. Where were you when I needed that calc help? And just about every other math help…but I digress. I'm not sure if there will be interactions between Jessiebelle and the Rocket reporting team. Maybe I can sneak something in as a funny scene later on but first, we have a lot of drama to sort through! ^_^ And no sadly, I have no plans on Meowth as of now. I've already thrown in so many characters. But then again…you never know. And I'll have to see if I can watch that ep! Thanks!


	13. Just Talk

*****Author's Note*****

Thanks for 300+ reviews and continued support! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Also, thanks to _Chika Hoshi_ for pointing out a mistake in one sentence last chapter. I wrote, "I think the cab driver when I finally got out." But the sentence should have read, "I think the cab driver was relieved when I finally got out."

Anyways, just in case anyone else caught that, that's what it was supposed to say. ^_^

**Disclaimer**: The usual.

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 13: Just Talk

_Beep. Boop. Boo-beep. Krrish!_

Misty lifted her travel bag onto the bed in her hotel room and unzipped it.

_Boop boop boop. Kriish!_

She pulled out her toothbrush and face wash then had to dig deeper to find the small purple bottle of toner.

_Breeeep! Breeeep! Breeeep!_

"Oh for the love of -!" Misty finally whirled to the right and narrowed her eyes at her best friend who sat on the other bed, her fingers punching buttons on some sort of hand-held device. "What in the world are you doing?" Misty demanded.

Serena kept her gaze trained on the device, her fingers still going.

_Kriish! Kriish! Kriish!_

"Yes! I killed them!"

Misty took a few short steps that placed her directly in front of the other woman and crossed her arms. "Rena."

_Blip. Bloop. Beep. Kriish!_

Serena answered without looking up. "I'm killing aliens. They're invading my home planet."

_Beep blip!_

"Which would be what, Planet Psycho?"

"Planet Abra actually."

"I see."

_Kriish! Kriish! Kriish!_

"Why do you have something like this anyway?"

"Confiscated it from a freshman student. He probably could have evaded being caught if he had put it on mute."

_Beep boop breeeep. Kriish!_

"You mean that stupid thing has mute and you're not using it why?" Misty asked in annoyance while pointing to the small game in Serena's hands.

Serena finally looked up and locked eyes with Misty. "Well how else would I get you to talk to me?"

Misty's mouth dropped open and for a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Misty was torn between laughing at Serena's antics and scolding the woman for being so puerile. But then again, Misty realized with a guilty jolt, she herself hadn't quite reacted to the entire situation in the most adult manner either.

She finally sighed and sat down on Serena's bed. "So you decided to use a childish method to get my attention. That sounds more like something Ash would do."

One side of Serena's mouth went up. "I teach high school. Picked up a few tricks here and there. Besides, high school student…Ash…is there really much difference?"

_Breep! Breeep! Breep breep breep!_

"Aw damn. I'm dead. I have to start over now. Thanks Mist!"

Misty shook her head, her mouth forming a smile for the first time since that afternoon. "You're hopeless."

"But you love me."

"If you play that all night I will throw you out."

"And there's the Misty that I love!"

"So…um…." Misty started.

Serena raised an eyebrow.

"How do you play that thing? Can I try?" she finished pointing at the device and Serena fell back onto the bed in laughter.

IDOID

"Go away Gary," Ash moaned as he pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the bed. He dug through his duffel bag and pulled out a clean black shirt with the sleeves cut off. "Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

Gary peeled himself away from where he stood at the window of Ash's hotel room and sat down on the recliner. "Not where you're concerned. So tell me, how was Spain? How's the family? How's life?"

"Spain was nice. My mother is well. Life sucks."

"Good to know," Gary responded, lifting his feet onto the coffee table.

"Now that you know, go away," Ash said, kicking off his shoes so that they flew and hit the wall with a dull thud.

"Don't damage my property!"

Ash rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed to pull of his socks. "What do you want?"

Gary said nothing for a moment. He simply leaned back into the recliner and watched his best friend. The images of Ash and the unknown woman Maya – or whatever her name was – played as a brief slideshow in Gary's mind. He couldn't say that he was shocked. He knew that reporters were always out trying to get a juicy photo for the daily rumor mill.

Gary himself used his discretion whenever he was out. At least he tried. Then again, most of the women he dated wanted to be found by the paparazzi so it really didn't make much difference in the end. But Ash. He was a completely different matter. He was an engaged man found with a woman leaving his room in Spain.

If Gary were any other person, he could be persuaded to believe the hype created by the _Cerulean Su_n. But he wasn't any other person. This meant he could have a little fun first.

"So…Spain and a new chick, huh?"

Ash's head spun on his neck so fast that Gary was almost afraid they would leave the hotel with Gary holding Ash's head on a platter. Which might be the case once Misty was through with him.

"Nothing happened!" Ash exclaimed, his brown eyes blazing fiercely.

"Clearly something happened if the press took shots. But maybe not what everyone thinks happened."

Ash frowned, taking in Gary's words then turned his entire body on the bed so that he was facing Gary. "You believe me?"

Gary shrugged. "I'm not that one who has to believe you."

"But you believe me right?"

"If I must."

Ash grinned and Gary smirked back before Ash let out a frustrated sigh. "You're right. Misty's the once to convince. I can't believe she doesn't trust me!" He flopped back onto the bed. "She actually thinks that I cheated on her! What a great start towards married life, huh?"

Gary ran a hand through his hair, contemplating his next words. "Look man, the best thing to do is talk to her."

"We saw how that went."

"Well –"

"Even in the car!" Ash interrupted, throwing his arms up in the air. "Did you see how she completely ignored me? It was like a freezer in there she was so cold! What right does she have to be mad at me? I should be the one mad at her for not trusting me!"

Gary rolled his head over his shoulders while Ash took a moment to catch his breath from his short tirade.

"What should I do?"

Gary looked over at Ash who had slumped back on the bed, arms stretched out to the sides and feet dangling off.

"Talk to her," he repeated.

"Tried that in the car."

"Again." Gary went to stand over Ash. "This is Misty we are talking about. And we already had a crazy magazine fiasco five years ago. She knows how they can twist things around. Do you really think she doesn't trust you?"

"Well she certainly has a nice way of showing her trust in me."

"She's a girl. They're psychotic to begin with. She probably just wants some sort of reassurance from you."

"But she should trust me regardless!"

Gary frowned and kicked Ash in the side of his leg. Ash sat up and glared. "What was that for?"

"You're starting to annoy me with all your girly whining. Man up and talk to her or shut up and go to sleep."

Ash rubbed his calf muscle where Gary had aimed. "Fine. You're right. She has to talk to me sometime. Might as well be now."

"And if things go well, I want you to treat me to dinner," Gary said as he headed towards the door.

"What for?"

"I figure I should get some sort of payment for being your personal therapist."

Ash rolled his eyes. "I've played therapist for you too so don't even go there."

"Uh huh."

"Besides, I highly doubt you came up with all this on your own."

Gary turned around, standing under bedroom's door frame, and grinned. "Okay so I guess I have to credit Little Maria for some of that. She gives good advice about women occasionally."

Ash smirked. "Maybe because she happens to be one?"

"That's probably it. Anyways," Gary said, "You talk to Misty and figure things out. I'm going back to my room."

"Wait a minute."

"What?"

Gary looked back at Ash who was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. And this was saying something because as far as Gary knew, he could identify all of Ash's expressions since they were kids. He was always so easy to read but for some reason, the way Ash's eyes narrowed and widened and his mouth pressed together then moved up and down and his eyebrows scrunched in and out, Gary couldn't fathom what the other man was thinking.

Did he change his mind about talking to Misty?

Or had something really happened in Spain that Ash was about to confess to?

"What is it Ash?" Gary asked warily, stepping back inside the bedroom.

Ash moved his pressed lips side to side now. "I just remembered something," Ash started slowly.

"Yes?" Gary prompted.

"You asked Serena to be your love coach."

Gary's eyebrows shot up before he realized that it shouldn't be that shocking to find out that Ash knew. The swiftness at which information passed between their friends, specifically the females, put even the speed of light to shame.

"Yeah. I did," the taller man finally responded, leaning back against the dresser.

"Did you tell her about your grandfather's ultimatum yet?" Ash asked, his facial expression still weird, and Gary wondered why he was bringing this up right now.

"No. Did you?"

Ash shook his head. "You asked me not to tell. You asked me not to tell Serena specifically."

"Yeah. And?"

Now the unreadable expression melted and molded itself into an expression Gary knew quite well. The glaring eyes, the large frown, the nostrils slightly flared…Ash's angry look since kindergarten when Gary had first snatched away Ash's toy dinosaurs.

"You are such an ass Gary!" Ash exclaimed loudly and took a step forward. "You asked Serena to help you find a girl to get engaged to without telling her the real reason? You're using her! And did you even think for a second about _her_ feelings?"

Gary puts his hands up to prevent Ash from getting any closer and frowned. "Whoa. Where is all this coming from? Using her? I would never use her!"

"Right. And you wouldn't ever hurt her either, would you?"

"No. I wouldn't," Gary remarked, his frown deepening as he crossed his arms and glared right back. "What are you insinuating Ash? She's one of my best friends and I would never even think to hurt her. Ever. I don't quite appreciate you calling me an ass after I've just helped you figure out your Misty thing."

"All you did was tell me to talk to her. A monkey could have told me to do that," Ash commented, now taking a step back and giving Gary an appraising stare. "Let me ask you a question Mr. Gary Samuel Oak."

Gary raised an eyebrow skeptically and cocked his head to the side. "The middle name? Really?"

"Have you ever thought of Serena as a potential?"

"A potential what?" Gary asked in confusion. "A potential employee?"

Ash's mouth dropped. "A potential girlfriend! That's why I'm calling you an ass! And I thought I was supposed to be the slow and stupid one."

"You still are. And what?" Gary asked in shock, arms dropping to the side. "Little Maria as my girlfriend? Did you leave your brain back in Spain?"

Ash folded his arms across his chest. "I am being completely serious."

"I don't do girlfriends."

"Okay fine. But right now, you're looking for someone to seriously date and then marry, right?"

Gary nodded slowly, still blown by Ash's suggestion. Him and Little Maria? Sure they had gone on one date together but that was five years ago and it had ended in disaster which had actually led them to being such good friends today. The thought of them as an item was absurd. His mind laughed at the ridiculous idea but at that second, an image of those dark eyes complimented by pale yet rosy skin framed by jet black hair flashed before his eyes and his stomach did a strange flip.

What the hell?

He shook his head and focused back on Ash.

"I think I need to see a doctor," Gary said. "A cardiologist or GI specialist."

"What? Never mind," Ash replied. "I don't want to know."

"Listen, Serena and I are friends. Friends," Gary said, emphasizing the last word. "She has no interest in being with me and she's made that quite clear from the day we met."

"But what about you? Do you think you'd be interested in her?"

Large dark eyes flashed in his mind again but Gary ignored it. "No! No…I don't think so. I mean, she's the best female friend I have. Why ruin a good thing? Besides we are definitely not compatible as a couple."

Ash rubbed his chin and sighed. Gary could not understand what his friend was suggesting or where this baseless idea was stemming from. And for some reason, a part of him didn't want to understand. He just wanted to disregard it completely. The entire thought was too weird!

"Look, just forget I said anything alright? I don't want to make things awkward for any of us."

"I think that's a good plan."

"Just don't…don't hurt her."

Gary looked into Ash's eyes.

"She's like a sister to me," Ash continued, his brown eyes unwavering and Gary stared back before nodding and leaving Ash's room.

IDOID

Serena stood in the kitchenette of her and Misty's shared hotel room boiling water. The day had been stressful and ending the night with a nice cup of lavender tea would just hit the spot. Serena glanced towards the closed bathroom door from where she could hear the shower running. At least she and Misty had more or less dissipated the tension between them.

They didn't fight often, save the occasional tiny dispute over where to eat out or who the designer leather jacket looked better on. This recent matter didn't really fall into the "fight" category but it still wasn't pleasant during the silent treatment Misty had given her earlier.

But now, after reconciling over a childish game, the two women were back to normal. After managing to kill approximately five out of the thirty aliens on Planet Abra, Serena had deemed Misty a failure at alien-combat which led to Misty hitting her in the back with a pillow. What followed was a two-minute, good old-fashioned slumber party pillow fight after which Misty declared that she needed a shower. As Misty had collected her shower supplies, Serena had been tempted to ask about Ash but knew that was a conversation for after Misty's shower and during late-night tea.

The kettle on the stove whistled and Serena turned the knob off. As wisps of steam traveled upwards towards the ceiling from the spout, Serena grabbed the handle and carefully tilted it to pour the hot water into a tea cup when a knocking on the door sounded.

Startled by the sudden noise, her hand jerked and instead of falling into the teacup, water splashed onto her right foot. She hissed through gritted teeth, replaced the kettle on the stove and stamped her foot. Not that it lessened the burning sensation but psychologically, it made her feel better. Still stamping and lifting her foot to wipe away the water, Serena hopped over to the door and squinted through the peep-hole, ready to maim the person who caused her injury.

The figure had his back turned to the door but Serena recognized it. After glancing towards the bathroom door and listening for the continued sound of the shower jet, she opened the door, greeting the guest with a frown.

He turned and Serena saw the wave of relief in his eyes that she wasn't Misty. He lifted a hand and delivered a sideways smile. "Hey Serena."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "You almost killed me Ash."

"Excuse me?"

"You knocked on the door and now look!" she stuck her foot out and pointed to a reddened spot on her pale skin.

She could almost see the gears in Ash's brain shifting and screeching against one another in attempts to figure out just what was going on. Deciding to give the guy a small break, she brought her foot back down and crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. "What do you want?"

Ash looked slightly taken aback by her hostile approach. "Is...is Misty here?"

"Shower," Serena responded, jerking a thumb sideways.

"Oh." He shuffled his feet and cleared his throat.

"So we didn't really get a chance to catch up," Serena started and he looked up. "How was Spain?"

"Erm…good."

"Bring me back anything?"

Ash licked his lips nervously at Serena's sudden friendly tone. "Not the hot Spanish guy you wanted, no. Sorry."

She snapped her fingers. "Darn."

"But I did bring you a skirt."

"A skirt?"

"Yeah Gary actually suggested it. He said you mentioned wanting a traditional Spanish skirt so I got one. With ruffles."

"A flamenco skirt?" she asked in pleasant surprise.

Ash shrugged. "If that's what it's called."

Serena couldn't help her eyes from widening. Gary had suggested it? And actually remembered her mentioning it? That had been a few weeks ago too! She started to grin but then fought it down and looked at Ash coolly.

"Thanks to the both of you then."

"Uh huh."

They stood staring at one another a few seconds longer.

"You and –"

"Are you – "

They stopped.

"Go ahead," Ash conceded with the slightest nod of his head.

"No you. You're the one who came here."

Ash scratched the back of his neck, a sign Serena had picked up a long time ago indicating that he was tense. Good. She would make him sweat before handing him over to be cooked over Misty flames.

"Are you…do you…" Ash began then cleared this throat. "You're upset," he finally stated looking her in the eyes.

Serena pressed her lips together, wondering if he was practicing his lines for Misty on her. "Why would you think that?"

"Well you didn't speak to me in the car either."

"I was tired."

"And you're Misty's best friend."

"That may have something to do with it, yes."

"And you think I…I had a fling in Spain."

Serena kept her facial features stoic. "Did you?"

"What do you think? You've known me just as long as Misty has."

She stared at him, unblinking before lowering her gaze and exhaling deeply. She let her arms fall to her sides and shook her head. "Of course I don't think that."

Ash's mouth dropped open. "Then what's with the whole bodyguard routine?" he exclaimed, waving an arm up and down in front of her in exasperation.

Serena couldn't help but crack a grin. "Protocol as a best friend?"

Ash snorted.

"Look, it doesn't matter if the world plus aliens in outer space believe you. It's –"

"- Misty I have to convince. I know I know. That's why I'm here."

Serena looked contemplative. "It's not that you have to convince her of anything."

Ash raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"It's that…" she cast a look over to the bathroom door. The shower had just turned off. Lowering her voice she said, "It's just…well…actually I should just let you two talk it out."

"What? No hints? Clues? Help towards the understanding female psyche?"

"Ash," Serena said, giving him a look. "There are hundreds of books attempting to explain and decipher the female psyche and they haven't helped men in the least. So it's not like anything I say is going to make a difference in the next few minutes."

"It might! I've never read those books."

"True. But still, this is something between you two and I shouldn't intercede."

"But you have before!" Ash replied in desperation and Serena could tell that the man really did want to make things right with his fiancé. Nevertheless, she knew that every time the two had a fight, she shouldn't always give hints, otherwise how would either of them ever learn?

Before Serena could explain that to Ash, the bathroom door opened and Serena quickly stepped away from the main door, holding it half-shut so Ash was hidden. Misty walked towards her in her pajamas and a towel wrapped around her head.

"Who's at the door?"

Serena knew if she said 'Ash' Misty would slam the door right then and there without even checking to make sure Serena had removed her fingers. So she made a quick decision. "No one."

"For a second there, I thought it was Ash."

"And if it was?"

"I'd roast him alive in the oven."

Serena glanced towards the kitchen area. "We don't have an oven."

"The microwave then," Misty amended, unwrapping the towel and rubbing her hair with it.

"Right. Well then, I'm actually about to head over to Gary's room."

Misty glanced at the ornate clock hanging on the wall. "Now? It's almost midnight."

"He asked me to visit real quick for um…love coach stuff. You dry your hair and we'll talk when I'm back."

Without another word, Serena slipped her feet into her flip flops and stepped out into the corridor but not before grabbing the keycard from the front table and putting into her pant pocket. Ash still stood there, bewildered.

"What are you doing?" he whispered frantically.

"Giving you an opportunity to talk."

"She wants to roast me alive! In a microwave!" He cast a nervous glance at the door which was slowly closing. "That's a very unmanly way to go."

"Well then be a man and make sure you don't get roasted!" Serena commanded.

Ash began to protest but Serena grabbed his shoulders and shoved him against the door. He burst into the room, stumbled, regained his footing and straightened only to realize he was in the direct line of fire that was emitting from Misty's icy eyes.

"Good luck!" Serena called out cheerily and pulled the door shut leaving the couple alone.

IDOID

Ash licked his lips and gulped nervously. Earlier he had been ready to confront Misty, demand to know why she didn't trust him and at the same time, make things right between them. But now that he was standing here, in her hotel room while her red hair fell over her mostly-bare shoulders in damp clumps and she was wearing her pajamas, which was really only a pair of shorts and a cami, Ash's resolve wavered.

But no, he had to take a stand. They were going to be married in a matter of months and before they got to that point, there were some things they just had to work out. Misty's trust in Ash being a big one.

Misty stood across from Ash, holding her towel, mouth set in a thin line, eyes shooting daggers and Ash was suddenly transported five years into the past to the exact moment when Misty had discovered that Ash had been lying to her about his identity as Alvin Ketter.

Back then, at least he really had been at fault. But this time, he knew he was clean.

"I don't know whether to hug her or kill her tonight," Misty spoke.

"Huh?" Ash managed, immediately thinking that somehow Misty had tracked down Mayaka.

That was fast.

Misty nodded her head towards the door behind Ash. "Rena. She pushed you in here. Trying to get us to talk."

"Oh." Then, "In her defense, she didn't give me any hints on how to fix this. Said she didn't want to interfere."

"Right."

Ash rubbed his hands together absently and tried another tactic. "Hola mi bonita amiga. I 'ave been vaiting for you!"

Misty raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You spent two months in Spain and that's the best you can do?"

"Hey it's not that bad!"

"You sounded like low-budget fake French film character."

"I – yeah okay," Ash conceded.

They stood in silence once more and Ash noted that the fire in Misty's eyes had slightly lessened. Encouraged by this, he squared his shoulders and decided that the best way to get through this would be to use the direct approach.

"Nothing happened in Spain. I did not cheat on you. Whether you believe me or not is your choice," Ash said firmly. She opened her mouth to speak but Ash continued, "But I am disappointed that you doubted me to begin with."

Now he watched as her eyes widened with shock then without warning, Ash was hit in the face with something wet and in his mouth he felt fuzziness. Hmm at least it smells nice, he thought, peeling away the towel that was thrown at him.

"What was –"

"You idiot!" Misty cried out, her cheeks reddening and tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Wait…tears? How did they get there so fast? She wasn't supposed to start crying! He hadn't even been harsh!

"I didn't doubt you!"

Ash tossed the towel onto the couch. "Um it sounded that way to me."

"I just…I hadn't seen you in two months and then you wouldn't even give me a straight answer so what was I supposed to think?" she said, her voice taking on a high-pitch.

"You were supposed to _know _I would never ever betray you," Ash replied with a sigh. As much as he wanted to argue, to shout back that he was frustrated with her reception of him, his energy was simply spent.

To think that only since that morning, he had flown home from a different country, taken a cab from Pallet to Viridian, visited a friend in the hospital, and was now arguing with his fiancé over some stupid tabloid photos.

All he really wanted to do was pass out. Preferably from sleep and not Misty's fist.

But before that, he wanted to kiss Misty. As angry as she had made him and as disappointed as he was in her lack of faith, he still wanted to kiss those lips he hadn't seen or touched in two months. Just because.

Misty's shoulders now sagged as she let the weight of Ash's words sink in. The tears were now gently falling down her flushed cheeks. "I know that. Of course I know you'd never betray me. But – but just the thought…the idea…that another woman saw you…or was with you…or even hugged you…somewhere that I'm not there…and it was a long time without you, you know? I just –mmph!"

He couldn't help it. The sound of her voice, the unspoken words in her half-sentences, and the way her blue eyes shone compiled with his already set desire of her was just too much.

He knew this wasn't the way to resolve things. But he had to do it because he knew then that it wasn't really all about trust at all. Well, maybe a tiny bit. But they'd discuss that and her tendency to overreact later. The bottom line was that she had missed him. And he had certainly missed her.

So Ash decided to do the only thing he could think of and that was to act on instinct.

He kissed her.

*****Author's Note*****

Round Two, the Make Up (or Make Out). Round Three to come next chapter! Oh yes, there is definitely a round three. You all really think Misty is going to be fine with Ash's whole Kiss-and-Make-Up plan he didn't even plan for? ^_~ Or maybe she is okay with it…we shall see!

I actually had the most fun writing the scene between Ash and Serena. There hasn't been much interaction with just those two alone so I thought I'd explore that a little, what with Ash being all behind-the-scenes big-bro for Serena and Serena playing up Misty's "bodyguard" against Ash. Let me know your thoughts on that!

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Preview of Chapter 14**

Gary straightened, towering over the shorter men. "I don't care. She's not going."

At this, Serena bristled. "Wait a minute. Since when do you make decisions for me?"

"Since now when you make stupid decisions."

Yellow Boxers was clearly not intimidated by Gary's height. "Look buddy, this is her choice. What are you, her boyfriend?"

Serena cut Gary a sharp look. "No. He's not."

"Then there's no problem."

"No there's not."

**Review Responses**

_Amazingly awesome person_: Yup they certainly are the Eevee brothers! I figured, Misty's three sisters + those three brothers = three couples! Haha. And yes, finally some Gary/Serena attraction. Slightly. They're both still too dumb to show any more than what they are now but it's a-comin! P.S. Aww yeah Shakespeare is a little hard to get into! You should read/watch A Midsummer Night's Dream. Even if you think you're not good at English, I think you'll enjoy it. It's a fun one!

_Psycho Duelist_: Okay so I had to search through my inbox of reviews and figure out that you were previously AzureKite4. When you reviewed, you still had the old name so when I came back just now to do replies, I was SO confused. Nice new alias btw. Anyways, glad you liked all the Gary/Serena and the Ash/Misty argument. Those two arguing is just fun to write! Don't worry, it'll be back. ^^

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: Haha if Misty were to use her mallet at any time, it should be at the end of this chapter where she brings it out and smashes Ash on the head saying "Oh you think a kiss will make it all okay huh?" I can totally picture it. ^^

_merise_: Gary says to you, "Act on that pull? You're right. I really should talk to Ritchie." Haha yeah Ivy definitely always looked intoxicated (don't worry I didn't think of that until later either! Lol) Omg Brock's pink apron! I totally forgot about that too! Maybe I'll have to see if I can sneak it in somewhere…hehe.I remember Stun Spore Detour but what was Forest Grumps? And I agree with you. Both Ash and Misty are wrong in their own way but also right. Clearly none of that matters at the end of this chapter though. For now. ;P

_poka_: Thanks I'm glad you liked the last chapter! I tried to include all that I could without going overboard. And yes, sadly Gary and Serena are just way too dense right now. What to do with those two..*shakes head*

_s.a.e.i.a.-e.u.c.a_.: Glad you liked the Gary and Serena scenes! And omg I could never kill of Duplica's baby. I would cry forever and this is so not supposed to be angst-ridden. (Personally I can't handle much angst). Ooh what is your mind thinking? Care to share? ^_^

_Ronmione x3:_ Well not much chaos in Round Two but as I said, it's not over yet! As for Gary and Serena…I'm wondering which of them will figure it out first too. Haha.

_BowlingStar08_: Aw well sleep is definitely more important that reading fanfiction (*says this as I write this at 2am)…Yeah with Todd's reaction, I was going for the realistic approach and I'm glad it worked! As for Ash and Misty…well they're working on working it out. Haha. We'll see! Misty's brother-in-laws are the Eevee brothers so that's where I got their names from, no credit to me on that! ^^ Gary and Serena are still stupid and dense but they're getting there…slowly. Thanks for the review!

_Lotusnapper_: Thanks for your detailed review! I always love those. Ash and Misty are starting to realize that they're being silly but not quite yet. Clearly Ash has other things on his mind though but we'll see how Misty responds. ^^ Hehe hopefully Gary's not getting a heart attack or stroke either. He's still too dense to figure it out as you can see from this chapter, which I hope you enjoyed!

_Munchlax Jr_: LOL. Okay you got me. Can't deny that this isn't like a soap opera. But mine is waaay more PG-rated and people aren't getting pregnant with each other's friends all over the place. ^^ Lets go with this being a comedic drama. Hehe. Hope you enjoyed!

_Bluejay511_: Glad you had some good laughs last chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one just as much!

_Thank you so much_: Haha that is awesome that you shouted when you saw my update while with your friends. I mean seriously, that is a huge compliment for me! (And also good job zoning out Twilight talk). Lol. I do a lot of "for now" comments but I'll try to lessen them around you. ^_~ Oh and thanks for pointing out that one line. I was referring to Serena's face but it's a good thing to keep in mind as a writer when referring to 'friend.' As for your theories you've mentioned so far, of course I can't say anything (and for fear of giving you a heart attack it's probably best to say nothing) except that Jesse and James may turn up later on down the road. Still haven't decided on that.

_Chika Hoshi_: Hehe glad you liked all the silliness. I was actually afraid that it was too much drama until I read everyone's reviews. Phew! So I guess if last time you went all fangirl for an hour on Gary/Serena, this time it must be two hours from Gary and Ash's talk. No wait…actually it'll probably be two hours after you read the next chapter. Oops I've said too much! *zips mouth* Oh and thanks for pointing out that sentence! Dunno how I missed those two words!

_Athletic nerd_: Thanks for your positive review as always and glad you liked the Gary/Serena. And yes, as a girl, I'll admit that girls' arguments aren't always the most…rational. But it goes both ways, eh? ^^ Misty: "You better run boy!" I think you should run now, I'll hold Misty off. ^_~ Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Guibin_: Haha yes I guess you could say that Gary's list of qualities is a bit generic. In the end, we all sorta want the same core values. ^^ I had to look up tsundere. I guess Misty was the tsundere character in the first fic and now it's Serena's turn!

_Leafy Savanna Chan_: A name change I see. ^^ Nice. I used to babysit a girl named Savannah. I miss her and her siblings. They were great kids. Ahem but anyways I digress. I am so sorry for all the drama you had to go through to read the last chapter! (tho it provided me with an amusing story!) I hope this time it wasn't so bad. And don't worry, I will never put more than strictly necessary in terms of the lovey stuff like with Gary and Ivy. I don't like writing more details than that anyway and I'm past 20. ^_^ Haha as a girl, I would've wanted Misty to win Round 1 too. But as the author…couldn't let that happen just yet. Lol I don't think you told me that you adore Todd but now I know. *hands over a Todd plushie* I will try to add James and wow my reponse is pretty long so anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_ziggyricer9615_: Glad you liked last chapter! And at the rate Serena and Gary are going…well you're right, only time will tell. Lots and lots of time!

_Black-Sakura27_: Aw it's okay! Glad to see you back! I can't imagine being without internet that long and am very flattered that you checked my fic first! Thank you! I'm glad you like all the Gary/Serena fluff! Man, I wonder what readers would do if I killed off my OC….ah but don't worry, that won't happen. Anyways if you have any more guesses, let me know as it's always interesting to see what readers think! ^_^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Water Lily_: Aw thank you! Hopefully it won't take forever but we've still got several chapters to go!

_Epicocity_: Yes I love dynamic characters. They are the fun to write and interesting to read about, wouldn't you say? ^^ So I struggled with that title in the last chapter and I'm glad you mentioned it! You're the only one who has! *sniff* Heh…Lol I don't know who to root for, Ash or Misty. Being a girl, I should be on Misty's side but having played counselor to so many of my friends in their relationships, I just gotta say that they're both being dumb. (Yes of course, Ash decided to chose Alvin Ketter as his nickname the exact moment Misty asked him. ^^) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_hollywoodmiss_: Hello! Glad to see you back! Some other readers also mentioned not getting alerts. is trying to sabotage me! Anyways, glad you liked the last chapter and hope you liked this one too!


	14. Midnight Madness

*****Author's Note*****

I realized that I posted the first chapter of this fic on 09-09-09. Yeah never saw that before or caught it. Haha. Which means that the ONE YEAR mark of this fic just passed! I tried really hard to get this chapter up by then but it didn't work out. In any case, thanks to everyone who has stuck with me and this fic for the past year and I can't wait to continue the reader-writer relationship with you all!

QUESTION: How many of you would be interested in taking part in some sort of CONTEST where the prize is that you get to request a one-shot from me? I feel like doing something as a 'thank you for one year' but I'm not quite sure what. Let me know your thoughts on this! Thanks. :)

Lastly, I will try to update more regularly but no promises as I'm back in school full-time now. So lots of reading and writing on that end. But my goal is to at least post once a month. ^_^

Happy reading! (It's a bit of a shorter one again but fully loaded.)

**Disclaimer**: The usual

**I Do or I Don't**

Chapter 14: Midnight Madness

Room 2020 or 2002?

Serena paced the halls of the twentieth floor of The Oak Hotel, trying to remember which room was Gary's. The girls were two floors down while Ash was on the nineteenth floor. Gary had tried to get them all rooms on the same level but most of the hotel was booked due to some comic convention being held that weekend and even the power of Oak was no match for the costumed convention go-ers.

Serena debated whether to go to Gary's at all. Just because she told Misty she was headed there, didn't mean she had to really go. But then again, who knew how long the troublesome couple would take to sort out their problems or how long they would decide to make up for. She didn't want to sit around by the elevators and the only thing that was probably open downstairs was the bar which she wasn't about to go to alone in her pajamas.

"Are you waiting for someone?" a deep voice asked behind Serena, who was standing near room 2020.

She turned and smiled warily at the two men wearing boxers, bright red capes tied around their necks. "Just…taking a walk."

"So no," the man in the blue striped boxers said. He grinned at her and Serena took a hesitant step backwards. "Would you like to join us for a walk outside?"

"No thank you. I'm in my pajamas so uh I'd rather not go outside," she finished lamely.

They looked her over and Serena wished she had grabbed one of the robes that the hotel provided. Although she was wearing full-length pajama pants, she still felt exposed in her small tank top. If she had known she would be traipsing around a hotel full of comic weirdoes, she'd have prepared better.

Right, like that makes sense, she chastised herself.

"That's perfect!" the man in the yellow boxers replied with a smile. "There's a midnight pajama party going on in the park across the street."

"Oh." That actually sounds kind of fun, she thought. Ever since she had started teaching, she hadn't really been to any parties that weren't wedding or birthday-related. And since she had left her cell phone in her room, she couldn't even call Gary to find out his room number.

She looked at the two men, weighing her options. They appeared to be near her age, perhaps slightly younger, and aside from the odd get-up, they were good-looking and definitely in shape.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," she finally conceded.

"Nice!" Blue Boxers exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Yellow Boxers said but before she could follow them towards the elevators, the door to room 2020 opened.

"I thought I heard your voice," Gary said, stepping into the brightly lit corridor.

Serena turned with a smile. "So it was 2020!"

"What do you mean?"

She explained her confusion in the numbers and why she was even looking for him. "Ash and Misty are either killing each other or making out right now," she finished.

"I'd vote for killing each other," Gary said dryly. His eyes roved towards the caped men. Serena noticed this and told him about the pajama party.

"We were about to head there. Want to come?"

Gary scrunched his forehead. "Let me get this straight. You were about to head off, into a park at midnight, with two cape-wearing idiots that you don't know, wearing that," he said, pointing to her top and she hugged herself.

"Well when you put it that way…"

"Hey we are not idiots!" Blue Boxers objected. "And we would never harm a lady!"

Gary straightened, towering over the shorter men. "I don't care. She's not going."

At this, Serena bristled. "Wait a minute. Since when do you make decisions for me?"

"Since now when you make stupid decisions."

Yellow Boxers was clearly not intimidated by Gary's height. "Look buddy, this is her choice. What are you, her boyfriend?"

Serena cut Gary a sharp look. "No. He's not."

"So then there's no problem."

"No there's not."

Serena made to move towards Yellow Boxers when Gary grabbed her shoulder. "Serena."

She turned in surprise, staring at his large hands on her bare skin then looking up into his green eyes.

He caught her gaze and let go. "Never mind."

Serena frowned then faced the men. She started to follow them then stopped, hesitating. Gently tugging the hem of her shirt, she said, "Hey guys, thanks for the invite but I think I'll actually just hang out here."

Behind her, Gary's eyes widened.

"Aw man," Blue Boxers said in disappointment. "You sure?"

Serena nodded and after inviting her to another party for the next night, the cape-men left.

"Why did you do that?" Gary asked, his lips twitching suspiciously.

Serena shrugged and turned on her heels to face him. "I'm not wearing the right kind of pajamas for a midnight park pajama party."

"That's true. You're missing the cape."

They grinned at one another.

"So now what?" Serena asked as Gary leaned against his closed door.

He thought for a moment. "Swimming?"

"Now?"

"When else?'

"The pool's closed."

"Um hello, Oak Hotel." He pointed to himself. "Gary Oak."

"I'm not wearing my swimsuit."

"We'll call it a pajama swimming party."

Serena waved her arm in front of her. "Lead the way!"

IDOID

Misty was aware of several things.

One, Ash was kissing her.

Two, Ash was kissing her exceptionally well. Not that his kisses were usually bad. But this one was alluringly fierce and passionate.

Three, her lips were really enjoying being reunited with Ash's.

Four, wasn't she supposed to be upset with Ash?

Five, did he really think an amazing kiss from him would resolve their issues?

Six, Misty planted her hands on Ash's chest and gave him a shove.

"What do you think you're doing?" Misty cried out.

Ash narrowed his brown eyes, a few locks of hair falling rakishly into his eyes. "What the hell Misty!"

"You can't just – just come in here and – and kiss me like that and expect everything to be fine," Misty exclaimed, gesticulating wildly.

He swiped a hand through his hair, his eyes falling to her lips once more. "Oh can't I?" Ash took an aggressive step forward and reached out but Misty ducked out of his way.

"No you can't."

Yes, Misty desperately wanted to continue the kiss but they needed to learn how to resolve their problems by talking. Following the age old "kiss and make up" rule wouldn't always work. No matter how pleasant it was.

She went over to the couch. When Ash remained standing where he was, a glare prominent on his face, she gave him a pointed look, crossing her arms.

With a resigned sigh, Ash let his anger ebb away and took a seat beside his fiancé.

"What?" he grumbled.

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me but what on earth are you so grumpy about? I'm the one who should be mad at you."

"I could say the same thing."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

Seconds passed, sparks of not complete hatred and not complete love but something in-between – something bordering passion intermingled with a desire to laugh tinged with just the slightest hint of loathing – crackled invisibly between their gazes.

Misty leaned forward subconsciously as did Ash. Despite her previous assertion to mend the situation with using their mouths for exchanging words and not other things, her eyes began to flutter shut. She felt a hand on her knee, sliding up to her thigh.

And then, she heard a most unexpected sound.

Misty's eyes flew open and she drew back. "Did you just – did you just pass gas?"

"Fart Misty. You can say it. Fart. And yes, I did," Ash said, sitting up straight and rolling his eyes.

"That's disgusting! Here we are, having a moment and you just had to ruin it, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry but next time I travel home from Spain and visit a friend in the hospital and have a fight with my fiancé all in less than twenty-four hours, I'll try to remind my body to not emit an otherwise completely normal and biologically functional noise," Ash responded.

Misty's eyes widened. In all that had gone on in the past several hours, she had completely disregarded the fact that Ash really had just flown in today. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. Guilt at having accused Ash of something just because of her own insecurities and not even giving the poor guy a chance to breathe and rest. She looked over at Ash as he yawned and noticed the darkness under each eye and the reddening of his sclera.

"What?" he asked, catching her stare.

Time to be an adult and stop behaving like one of Serena's students.

"I'm so sorry Ash," Misty said. She reached out a hand and gently placed it on his cheek, letting her fingers descend one by one over his skin, the bristles of his five o'clock shadow rough but familiar underneath her palm.

Misty couldn't blame him when he asked in a rather suspicious tone, "For what?"

"For being inconsiderate," she replied.

He now covered her hand with his own larger one, pressing it closer to his cheek. "Apology accepted."

Misty smiled.

"I'm sorry too."

This time it was Misty's turn to say, "For what?"

Ash pulled Misty's hand away from his face and brushed his lips over her pointer finger. "For leading that woman to my room." Index finger. "I promise you nothing happened. Not even a thank-you kiss on the cheek. I was just trying to be the good guy." Ring finger.

"I know Ash," Misty said, unable to say more as each kiss upon her fingers sent her thoughts into a tizzy.

"But I will certainly be more careful. Next time I'll just leave the drunk women at the bar and go straight back to my room," he continued. Pinky finger.

His eyes locked with hers and she managed to get out, "That's all I ask."

He laced his fingers through hers. "So…how long before Serena gets back?"

Misty smirked. "She went to see Gary."

"Hmm…so either they get into a fight and she comes back here now or Gary took what I said to heart and tries something giving us more time."

"Hm," Misty said, her brain not yet functioning as Ash's face was mere millimeters away from her own, his warm breath tickling her nose.

"Oh well! Either way it's good enough for me!" Ash pushed Misty back, effectively laying her down on the couch as he descended.

Misty grinned against his lips, curling her fingers into his hair as his own hand traced a spot on the back of her neck. Just as her mind was about to hibernate, something clicked. She grabbed Ash by the shoulders and shoved him away.

"What did you say?" she asked, eyes narrowed. She had to of heard wrong.

Ash pouted. "Aw c'mon Mist! Really? Again?"

"Ash…what was the last thing you said?"

"Umm…." Ash's eyes were trained on her lips.

She gave him a little shake. "Focus Ash!"

"Uh…Gary tries something with Serena because he took what I said to heart?"

He started coming down again but she held him away and looked up into his eyes. "Explain. Now."

"Damn. So close."

IDOID

"You know," Gary said as he floated on his back in the deep end of the large heated pool. "The point of coming down here was to actually swim."

He moved into an upright position, keeping his legs and arms circulating underwater so that he stayed afloat. Gary's gazed drifted to Serena. She was sitting by the ladder with her pajama pants rolled up to her knees and feet swirling the water.

"I only brought one pair of PJs and I don't want them to get wet," she explained, treading her fingers along the surface of the pool.

Gary smirked and pushed wet hair away from his forehead. "So don't wear your PJs."

A small wave of water hit him in the face.

"Hey I'm wearing my boxers. Not a big deal," Gary said, swimming closer to Serena.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah well you're a guy. It's easier for you. And you have no principles when it comes to keeping your pants on."

He reached the ladder and put his hands around her ankles, his feet hooking onto the bottom rung. "Oh?"

"What are you doing?"

Gary pressed his lips together, struggling to keep from grinning. She tugged her right foot but he kept a firm hold. He could see the slight panic register in her eyes when she realized that she was trapped. A frown formed on her face but he knew there was no real anger in that expression.

"Gary!" she exclaimed, pulling again. "Let go!"

This time, he let the grin slip through his defenses. "Why should I? I have no principles right?"

Serena pulled her left foot. He responded by tugging both feet, earning him a satisfying squeak. He knew at his age, he really shouldn't be mercilessly teasing a friend but he just couldn't help himself. It was too damn easy and entertaining.

"Gary! I can't swim that well in deep water!" Serena said, her fingers curled on the ladder rails. She pushed against them to make her body pull back but he wasn't done quite yet.

"You grew up with a girl whose family owns an aquarium."

"Yeah, so?"

_Pull._

_ Tug._

"So? Why didn't you learn how to swim properly from Misty?"

Serena sighed and stopped struggling momentarily. "I did. Sorta. If you must know, I was swimming with one of the dolphins once and he took me underwater in one of the larger tanks. I got scared and after that, I just haven't felt comfortable in deep water."

She pulled her feet again.

"So it's not that you can't swim. It's that you have an irrational fear," Gary responded. If one of his hands were free, he would have stroked his chin.

"It's not irrational to be afraid of drowning to death!"

Gary rolled his eyes. "It's irrational when you already know how to swim. What if you get trapped in the ocean somehow?"

Serena leaned forward and put her hands on Gary's shoulders, trying to push him away as she spoke. "The chances of that are highly unlikely and in the event that occurs and I'm stranded in the middle of an ocean with no land for miles, I'll probably be eaten by sharks anyway. Now give me back my feet!"

"No. You're being ridiculous. I think it's time you overcame your little fear. Why be eaten by sharks when you can swim away with dolphins?"

And with that, Gary quickly transferred his hands to Serena's waist and pushed off against the side of the pool with his feet before Serena knew what was happening. They floated towards the middle of the deep end, or rather, he was floating and Serena was clinging to him while shrieking.

"Ugh I'm going to go deaf."

"Take me back take me back!" she continued, her nails digging into his arms.

"Just keep moving your feet!"

"Don't let me go!"

"I'm not!" he replied, keeping his hold on her waist.

"I hate you!"

"Fine. But you're not drowning right?"

She paused and looked down. "No. But…"

"But nothing. You've been afraid to come to the deep end for this? It was such a quick fix."

"I guess…I guess my body just reacted on its own. It knew how to keep afloat," she responded and let her arms fall away from him.

"And now you can survive in the ocean. How about I let you go now?"

"NO!" Serena clutched Gary's upper arms once more, her eyes wide.

He let out a chuckle. "Okay, okay. Don't worry, I've got you. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"I know."

Later, perhaps, Gary wouldn't call it a mistake. But right then, he knew it could be called nothing else but that: a mistake. What exactly was the mistake? It was that he looked directly into the dark eyes of the woman before him, the eyes that reflected a great deal of trust in him. And for some reason, it was crucial that he not her let her go in that exact moment.

_Don't hurt her_.

Ash's voice resonated in Gary's head and he frowned, remembering the conversation. How dare Ash think he would ever harm Little Maria?

Again he looked down and this time, something in him prickled.

"Let's go over to the shallower end," Serena said, disrupting his thoughts. He shook himself out of the momentary reverie but was again distracted when he felt more so than saw her move her hands from his arms to his shoulders until she was positioned behind him, her arms wrapped around his neck loosely, her feet paddling and gently brushing against his legs in the process.

"Okay go."

"Uh…wha-?" Gary managed to get out, his brain not fully registering what was going on. Why were her hands so warm and why was it that every place they touched felt warm? Yes, they were in a heated pool but regardless, his feet felt degrees cooler in comparison to the temperature around his neck and shoulders.

Damn he was getting sick.

Serena kicked him. "C'mon be the dolphin and save me from the sharks."

"What?" His focus returned. "You want me to carry you?"

"More or less. My pants are soaked and I don't feel like swimming while they're wet and heavy. They're flannel. Now make yourself useful," she responded from behind, giving his right shoulder a quick poke.

"Woman!" he called out, feeling a weird jump in his heart and ignoring it. "I am not a horse!"

"No you're a dolphin now go."

With a sigh, Gary heeded. He wasn't sure why he was going along with her antics but he did. He swam towards the five feet area with Serena floating behind him like she was an extension of his back. When they reached the side of the pool, she let him go but he grabbed her by the waist once more just as she put her hands on the ladder.

"Hold on."

He turned her to face him.

"What now?" she sighed but again, he could tell there was no bite behind that false exasperation.

"I think you owe me a thank you."

"For what?"

"For what? For what?"

"No need to sound like a broken record Gary," Serena said with a smirk as she carefully twisted out of his grip.

He towered over her, one eyebrow raised. "Excuse me but I believe I just helped you overcome a completely irrational fear you have been harboring since childhood. Surely that deserves some sort of compensation in gratuity?"

"Did you just use fancy business-talk on me?"

"Maybe."

"Hm." Serena leaned back against the ladder, linking her arms with the rails. "I suppose," she said with a slow drawl of her vowels. "I was being rather silly wasn't I? Fine, what do you want?"

Gary was usually one to try and learn from his mistakes. But clearly not this time. He glanced down again, his own green eyes locking with Serena's darker ones. He noticed that her eyelashes curled upwards without the help of mascara and her cheeks were slightly flushed, probably from the recent activity.

_Do you think you'd be interested in her?_

This time Gary didn't even berate the tiny Ash in his mind. Instead his gaze traveled down Serena's face, flickering towards her pink mouth, the bottom lip jutted out slightly as she appeared to think about what to give him as a thank-you gift.

_Potential girlfriend_.

Gary moved towards Serena, her eyes downcast and brow furrowed in thought, cheeks still tinged red. He grabbed the rail, just above her own hands, and leaned downward.

"OH! I know!" Serena shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "Gary, why are you all up in my face? If you wanted to get out, all you had to do was ask. Anyways, next time you come over, I'll make you tiramisu. How's that? I don't usually make it except for parties but this time, I'll make an exception. Gary? Gary, are you getting sick? Your face is all flushed."

He felt a warm hand touch his face, his forehead, his collarbone and he knew right then that the next thing on his to-do list was to kill Ash for stuffing him with nonsense ideas and confusing the crap out of him.

Damn Ketchum.

*****Author's Note*****

Round 3 of the Ash and Misty Showdown complete! If you think the trouble's over for them…well, maybe but only for a short time! Remember, Dawn is still out there with her mysterious caller! And to all you Gary/Serena lovers…hope you enjoyed their interplay! We are so far from done with this fic but I hope to see you all stick around!

_Angelicfairy aka *Maura*_

**Review Responses:**

_Amazingly awesome person_: Thank you as always for your review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^^

_poka_: Your prediction in foreseeing chaos for our lovely couples will definitely prove to be correct! Not so much in this chapter but it's a-comin'!

_Lotusnapper_: Thanks for your detailed review! Much appreciated. ^^ Especially on what you thought of Serena and Ash's conversation since that's what I asked about in my A/N in the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much!

_Psycho Duelist_: I'm still getting used to your new name. ^_^ Hehe I like your guess about Gary and Serena. You'll just have to wait and see! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Munchlax Jr_: Haha yes I'm alive…just busy! Heh. Well as you hoped, the conflict between Ash and Misty has been resolved. But until they are married, nothing is certain what's to come! ^^

_Leafy Savanna Chan_: Ooh I wouldn't mind hearing your story about voice acting! Stories are always fun! ^^ (Haha kids can be a handful but if you manage to get the right job, it pays so well and no taxes!) Haha yeah if there were no plot points, then there really would be no story and I really don't want to be tortured by angry fan fic reader mobs because I ruined Pokeshipping. Lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^^

_bluejay511_: Yup friends are definitely supposed to be each other's "bodyguards." I've had to "bodyguard" for some of my friends before. It's kinda fun! ^^

_hollywoodmiss_: Glad you liked the last chapter and hope you enjoyed this one too!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: Hehe yes, yes I did use the Spanish accent! It seemed the perfect opportunity for Ash to use it, don't you think? ^^ Very Ash of him. Hope you enjoyed Round 3!

_Ronmione x3_: Glad you liked that line! I must say, I like it a lot too. ^^ It just came out!

_Chika Hoshi_: Ash acting on impulse is what makes up Ash. Hehe…Oh man even if Misty still were a matchmaker, she probably wouldn't want to touch the Gary/Serena situation with a 10-foot pole! I'm glad you liked the Ash and Serena talk! I'd been wanting to write something with just the two of them for a while and that seemed the perfect time plus it was a good opportunity as a writer to explore them as characters. ^_^ As for Danny…well I'll just say we haven't heard the last of him just yet!

_Guibin_: Oh yea definitely when you stay up all night, the days sort of meld together but I've had days like Ash's when the day just refuses to end. Haha friends with benefits huh? Ash would beat the snot outta Gary for even thinking that and Serena…well there goes that friendship!

_ziggerricer9615_: Thanks! Hehe well…Gary trying to "woo" Serena might actually be harder than he expects. Mainly because Gary's never really had to woo a woman. They just fall for him on their own. ^_~

_SkyMistle214_: Thanks! I guess I could have put more description in that last sentence but then I felt it might take away from the overall effect. Thank you for pointing it out! I'm always up for suggestions. ^^ Glad you caught up and I'm excited to have you on board for the ride!

_Athletic nerd_: Aww thank you for your flattering comment! Really, I couldn't stop smiling. ^^ Haha Ash is normally not a problem-solver but he was at his wit's end. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_MrRoxas_: Omg you're back! It has certainly been a looong while! A year almost I think? I'm flattered and very happy that you checked my fic first upon your return to ! ^_^ I look forward to your chapter-by-chapter analysis/review and am glad to see that you've returned! Hope you enjoy!


	15. The Calm After the Storm

*****Author's Note*****

Thank you for 386 reviews! You have officially exceeded the number of reviews that _Misty the Matchmaker_ currently has by 1 review. Whoo! ^_^ Sorry for the delay but I'm back and hoping to have regular updates. It's my slightly late New Years' Resolution. Hehe.

Also, I noticed several new-comers reviewing the past few chapters so just wanted to say welcome to the fic and hope to hear more from you!

Disclaimer: The usual.

**I Do or I Don't?**

Chapter 15: The Calm After the Storm

Hand gently fitting along the curve of the cool glass, Misty lifted her drink and took a sip of fresh orange juice while looking over the rim at the man across from her. Usually he kept his emotions tucked far away from his exterior but now, something caused him to be exposed.

The two of them were seated at the corner of one of the restaurants in the hotel for breakfast and Gary was currently drumming his fingers on the tabletop. Occasionally he would stop to rub his nose or his chin and clear his throat. He had said "good morning" before the two of them ordered their breakfasts then returned to looking partially contemplative, partially anxious, and just a slightly fearful.

And Misty was pretty sure she knew just what had the multibillion-dollar heir to Oak Tech so distracted. As Gary reached for a mini-muffin sitting in a basket at the middle of the table, Misty thought back to the conversation she had had with Ash the night before.

"Misty - ack! Stop – oof! Stop hitting me with a cushion!"

"You jackass! I can't believe you said that to Gary!"

"I wasn't trying to hurt anyone the way you are right now."

"You might as well have just pushed the two of them off a cliff above sharp rocks pointed straight up at them."

"Why must girls always be so melodramatic? Ah! No more hitting! Look, I told him to forget about what I said."

"And you really think his brain is as simple as yours?"

"My brain is not – well yeah okay. But maybe this will be the push that he needs."

"Off a cliff."

"You know, your way is not always the right way."

"Ash, I was a matchmaker. Do you know what that means? That means that in comparison to you and your addled ideas, I am a professional in this game. And the way to put two people like Gary and Serena together is not to throw the idea of dating Serena at Gary's face like you're throwing him a curve ball that's on fire!"

"What and waiting until they do nothing is? Sure Mist great idea. Lets just have Gary continue to use Serena as a love coach while she dates the wrong guys because neither of them actually have considered each other as an option!"

"Ash this is a delicate matter. Serena will get hurt by Gary this way!"

"What way? There is no way at the moment! At least with me having planted the idea in Gary's head, there will finally be a way and maybe something good will come of it instead of confusion. I bet you that after what I said to Gary, he's going to soon realize that Serena is perfect for him instead of some showgirl."

"Showgirl? Why would he go for a showgirl?"

"Nevermind. Point is, I bet it all works out. Thanks to me."

"Are you really going to try and take credit again? And this time, the coupling hasn't even happened yet."

"Yes. Yes I am. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to my room and sleeping. Otherwise I'm liable to say something stupid. Like telling you that I had a talk with Gary."

"I still think it was the wrong thing to do."

"Well, can't take it back. The ball's in motion. Maybe. Just wait and see what happens."

"Ma'am?"

Misty broke out of her thoughts and looked up. Their young waiter was standing beside her holding a plate and Misty quickly removed her elbows from the table. "I am so sorry," she said.

With a smile, he put the plate down. "No problem."

"Mmm smells great!" Misty commented, looking across at Gary who appeared not to have really noticed his plate of food. Instead, he looking off to the side and when Misty followed his gaze, she saw that it wasn't directed anywhere.

"Gary?" she prompted.

"Hm? Oh our food's here! Excellent!" He picked up his fork and pierced it through a cherry tomato.

Misty debated whether or not to intervene. Finally, "What's wrong Gary?"

He looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"You're acting – off."

"I'm just tired." He shot her a typical Gary grin, full of the charisma and charm that all the women fell for but Misty could sense past the pseudo-happiness.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"People still use that phrase?"

Misty grinned. "You can use any phrase anytime if it's a good one."

"I never really understood that one though. You give me a penny in exchange for hearing my thoughts? Or do I pay you for listening to me like a psychologist?"

"Huh." Misty used her fork to slice into her omelet. Cheese oozed out and steam wafted upwards. "I don't really know."

Gary smirked and lifted a finger. "Something to find out, huh?"

"Definitely. But all joking aside, anything you want to talk about before the other two get here?"

"Where are they anyway?" Gary leaned back to look out into the rest of the restaurant.

"Mmm…Serena had to make a phone call. And Ash just woke up."

"Now?"

"Poor guy was tired from everything that happened yesterday."

"And I'm sure from what happened last night."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Very mature Gary. Now stop changing the subject. I know something is bothering you."

Gary popped another cherry tomato in his mouth and chewed slowly. "You and Ash…you're good now, right?"

"Yeah," Misty said, thrown off. "We're good."

Gary shot her a grin. "Good. Otherwise I'd have to pummel him!"

"Huh, I thought you'd be on his side."

"No way. Ask Little Maria, I was definitely siding with you on this one."

Misty let out a laugh.

"Hey listen," Gary said, leaning forward and rubbing his hands together. "You know I think you two are great together, right? I mean, I don't think I've actually ever had a chance to tell you personally in the five years we've all been together. But you and Ash really are a great couple. Just remember that Ashy-boy sometimes does stupid things but his heart is always in the right place and that place is with you. And if he ever takes his heart away from you, you come to me and I'll get him."

Misty felt a pricking at the corner of her eyes and lifted her fingers to wipe away the few tears that had leaked out.

"Oh shit. I didn't mean to make you cry Misty!"

Misty warbled out a laugh. "Gary that must be one of the sweetest things you have ever said to me."

"Oh."

"Or to anyone for that matter," she added as an afterthought. She patted Gary's hand and leaned over the table, placing a quick chaste kiss upon his cheek. "Thank you Gary. It means a lot."

"Oh. Um…yeah. Right no problem. Really. I mean, it's what any brother would do, right? I mean I know you've got three brother-in-laws but I figure you need a brother you know?" A blush spread over the bridge of his nose and Misty bit her lip from giggling at his sudden bashfulness. "So yeah. I'll be your brother from now on."

"Thank you."

Gary nodded. "Don't mention it. I mean, really, don't ever mention this. To anyone. Especially Little Maria."

Misty sipped some of her juice then remembered that she was supposed to find out if Gary really had given a thought to Ash's words. As precious and heart-warming as his speech had been, it was still not enough to deter her from her original goal.

"Now it's my turn," she said, putting her glass down.

"You sound serious."

"Well, you were looking so serious when I came in here that I can't help but wonder what's on your mind. Is it something about work?"

Gary traced the rim of his water glass and shook his head. "Not really. Well, now that I think about it, there are a few things about work that should be bothering me but I'll think about that come Monday."

"Is it…a family problem?"

Gary gave a wry smile. "Grandpa's my only family and he's one of the happiest men any of us know, especially when he's mucking away in swamps and collecting specimens from the wild."

"We're your family too, remember that Gary," Misty said softly and he nodded, a few strands of hair shading his eyes.

"Is it a woman?" Misty ventured next.

If Misty hadn't been paying absolute careful attention to Gary's form, she would have missed it, but she was staring at him as though her life depended on it. And it was here that he stiffened just the slightest, his spine straightening from perhaps a 160 to a 170 degrees angle, his fingers that were wrapped around his water glass tightening a little and his lips pressing together.

Jackpot.

"So a woman," she repeated.

Gary relaxed his form and shook his head, letting out a laugh. "Nah."

"Gary…I know about the love coach thing."

"Oh. Right. I forgot about your telepathic transfer of information." Gary ran a hand through his hair. "But no, don't worry, Lit- I have that under control and right now, there is no woman."

Misty scoffed to herself. She certainly begged to differ. Now she was sure of it. She almost didn't catch it but he had been about to say "Little Maria" but stopped for some reason. He always used any opportunity possible to use that ridiculous name for Serena. A name that both of them still refused to indulge the details of but that wasn't the issue here.

Gary was definitely plagued with thoughts about a woman. He just didn't realize that he saw her as a woman and not as a…well as just a person.

"Gary Oak has no woman?" Misty asked in mock surprise.

One corner of his mouth went up. "Shocking I know, right?"

"Extremely."

"Well that's not the problem."

"Then what is?"

"What makes you think that there is a problem missy?"

"Simply because you just said that a woman is not the problem which means that there is a problem to be identified."

Gary rolled his eyes. "I take back all that sweet mushy stuff from a moment ago."

"I only wish I had been more prepared for it. I would have recorded it and shown Serena. She'd die."

At the mention of Serena's name, once again, Misty noticed the spine straightening, the fingers tensing and the lips pressing. And for some reason, she found a wicked sense of pleasure in watching Gary react in such a way and he probably had no clue why. After all his long years of being a player and making fun of people in love, was Gary Oak's heart finally caving in?

While Misty wanted to cheer at the idea, she also couldn't believe that Ash was actually right. His words had affected Gary and did seem to push him into really thinking about Serena as more than just a friend, even if he wouldn't admit to anything yet.

"So are you going to tell me what is bothering you or am I going to have to stab it out of you?" Misty continued, picking up her fork.

"What is with you women? Having to know everything?"

"Not everything. Just this one thing that's bothering you that you won't tell me about."

"Fine," Gary finally let out and narrowed his eyes at Misty, though she knew he wasn't really mad. "You win. It's not even that big of a deal anyway. It's minor. Very minor. Nothing to worry about at all."

Misty waved a hand. "Yes?"

"It's just something that Ash said last night. Got me…thinking about some things. Things I never really considered before."

Misty's eyes widened and she leaned forward in anticipation, wanting to speak but afraid that her voice would break Gary's acceptance into confiding in her. And despite his assertion that it was a minor thing, Misty could tell that it really wasn't. But she wasn't about to say anything. She just needed him to get to the part about what it was that Ash had said and then proceed to the part where he admitted his undying love for Serena.

Maybe.

"It's just that –"

"Goooood morning!"

Serena waltzed up to the table, tossed her arms up in the air and twirled, her entrance the glue to putting the Gary shell back up and sealing it off from Misty once more. Damn! She had been so close!

"You – you –" Misty stuttered, unable to say what was truly on her mind but finding it necessary to at least utter something.

Serena stopped spinning and grinned. "Yup! I'm wearing my new skirt! I stopped by Ash's room to see if he was ready and he gave it to me. So of course, I just had to wear it!"

She plucked the sides of her new flamenco skirt with her fingers and spread it out like wings, turning once more to give Misty a full view of the vibrant red and black ruffles.

"Gary thank you so much. I love this skirt!"

Gary frowned in confusion. "Ash got it for you. You just said it yourself."

"I know but you're the one who gave him the suggestion. So thank you!" She flashed him a brilliant smile and hugged him from behind. Misty watched as Gary shrugged and mumbled something inaudible.

Serena appeared not to have noticed this odd behavior as she sat down. "So guess who I was on the phone with?"

"Who?" Misty asked before taking a bite of toast.

"Damien!"

Uh oh.

"He called yesterday but of course with everything going on, I couldn't talk to him. Called him back just now and we've finally set up our auction date!"

Misty forced a smile, sparing Gary a quick glance before turning her attention back to Serena. "Oh really? That's nice."

Serena opened her menu and skimmed over it. "It's wonderful. He's really much nicer than when we knew him ten years ago and we have a lot of in common."

"Just because you have a lot in common doesn't mean you have to marry the guy!"

Serena looked at Gary strangely. "I'm not marrying him Gary. Oh I know what this is. Don't you dare go all commando big-brother psycho-freak on me and scare Damien away! I want to have at least one decent date with a man – make that at least two decent dates with a man before you chase him away!"

"You're already planning your second date with him and you haven't even been on the first. How pretentious. Thinking that he'll even like you that much to ask you out again," Gary said, a smirk playing on his lips, all traces of the earlier bashful and slightly vulnerable Gary completely vanished.

Serena stuck her nose in the air. "I am not getting into this childish fighting with you again. I'm going out with Damien as many times as I want and I do not want you to interfere."

Gary snorted and was about to retort when Serena leaned towards him, eyes wide and pleading. "Gary, please. Promise me you won't mess this up for me."

Misty watched the interaction, not sure who to feel sorry for.

"Why do you care so much whether or not I 'interfere' with this guy specifically when you haven't even gone out with him yet?"

"I – well it's not that it's him specifically," Serena started. "I mean, I like talking to him so far. But let's face it Gary. I'm going to be thirty in a few years. I can't spend the rest of my life single and searching for the right guy. I want to find him soon and move on with my life, not be stuck in a rut. And who knows, maybe Damien could be the one but I won't know that if you chase him away. So please?"

It was fascinating, almost like watching a soap-opera. All Misty needed was some buttered popcorn instead of buttered toast and she'd be set. They were so into their little mini drama-sode that both Gary and Serena appeared to have forgotten Misty was sitting right there with them!

Misty imagined that if this were a real soap she were watching, they'd probably cut to commercial right around now leaving her disgruntled and anxious for more.

Just as Gary let out a grumble and opened his mouth to respond to Serena's request, the unwanted commercial break came in the form of Ash.

"Good morning friends!" He gave Misty a small peck and clapped a hand on Gary's shoulder before sitting down. "Serena, you order yet?"

"Just about to. Any recommendations?"

As the conversation quickly became one that was more of a boring TV sitcom than a soap opera, Misty couldn't help but feel an unwarranted disdain towards her fiancé at that moment and when he asked what was wrong, all she could do was glare.

IDOID

"Good morning sweetie. I'm just here with your breakfast."

Duplica blinked up at the smiling nurse who stood by her bed. Wait a minute…nurse? As the sleep ebbed away and her mind cleared, she took note of several things. The first was obviously the stranger in a nurse's outfit holding a tray of food out for her. The next was that the white sheets underneath her fingertips were definitely not her 500-thread count Egyptian cotton ones. The white walls were bare except a single painting of flowers and a few signs mentioning what to do in the case of an emergency and reminding people to wash their hands.

"Mrs. Snap," the nurse said, bringing Duplica's attention back on her. She placed the tray down on the tray table and took a step closer to the side of the bed. "Do you remember what happened?"

Duplica bit her lip and then her eyes widened. Her hands flew to the curve of her abdomen. "My baby! Is my baby –"

"Your baby is perfectly fine. And so are you," the nurse replied with a soft smile. "It seems that you became overstressed, exerting too much energy and your body responded by fainting. You just needed some rest."

"Oh." Duplica sank back into her pillows with a sigh of relief. "Um…where's my husband?"

The nurse silently pointed to the corner. What Duplica had thought was a pile of jackets and blankets, she now realized was actually Todd underneath that pile. She could see the dark lump move up and down steadily and smiled.

"He's been with you all night," said the nurse. "Now, the doctor will be in to see how you're doing later on. In the meantime, I'd advise you to have your meal to get your strength back."

She pushed the tray table over to Duplica.

"Thank you."

As the nurse exited, drawing the curtain behind her, Duplica examined the items on her tray. There was a cup of grapes, a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, strawberry yogurt, orange juice, milk, and tea. A whole tray of healthy food she usually consumed anyway as per her modeling diet and all food she usually loved. But right now, it was the last thing she wanted. All her mind could think about was a nice juicy burger and French fries.

"Do you _want_ to end up a fat baby?" she said to her rounded abdomen covered by a blanket.

"Huh whazzat?"

Todd sat up quickly, the jackets and blankets sliding to the floor in a heap. His eyes were still closed as he turned his head from side to side, his dark hair sticking up every which way.

Duplica did the only thing she could do and let out a hearty laugh.

"Duplica?" Todd jumped out of the chair but still not being completely conscious, tripped over a jacket and tumbled towards the floor. He caught himself by grabbing the fire extinguisher on the wall and leaned against it.

"Good morning," Duplica said, trying her best to stifle her giggles as she eyed her husband, standing spread-eagle with one foot stuck in a jacket, his arms wrapped around the red fire extinguisher like he were giving it a hug. His eyes were now wide open and roving but finally settled on his wife.

"Duplica. You're awake!" Untangling himself from his awkward position, he came to stand by her bed. "Honey, I am so sorry. I am so so very sorry. This is all my fault! If I hadn't –"

"Todd! This is not your fault!"

"But I'm the one who –"

"Who did nothing but dote upon me and our unborn child. Look arguments happen." She lifted a hand and caressed Todd's cheek. "We'll just have to be more careful from now on. No harm done, right?"

They held each other's gaze and Todd gently guided Duplica's hand towards his mouth, gently kissing the center of her palm. "I'm sorry," he said once more, in a low voice.

"Me too," she whispered.

They continued to stare at one another, savoring the moment, happy that their baby was fine when Todd's eyes lit up.

"What is it?" Duplica asked.

Todd smoothed her hair and smiled. "You had some visitors last night!"

"Who? My parents?"

At this Todd's eyes widened but this time from shock. "Shit."

"Todd…Todd don't tell me you forgot to call my parents?"

"Noooo. I just…didn't call them. But Misty and Serena and Gary and Ash and Ritchie came by last night and everyone but Ritchie is still in Viridian!" he said very quickly, finishing with a hopeful grin.

"Yet you forgot my parents."

"I wouldn't say forget. Exactly."

Duplica pointed to the Todd's cell phone that was sitting on the table by the wall.

"Can't you do it? Your dad is still mad at me from New Years."

"Because you took pictures of him while he was falling from the roof instead of helping him!"

"But how often does a photographer get a chance to take raw shots like that?"

Duplica pointed again and with a sigh, Todd trudged over to the table and picked up his phone like it was lead.

Ritchie peeled off the chalky white latex gloves encasing his hands and tossed them in the waste basket behind him. It was barely noon but he had already seen several patients since checking into the free clinic earlier that morning. Now the crowd was slowing down and the attending physicians were letting the residents take a quick break as they took over.

The clinic was being held inside a local elementary school with the classrooms set up as different treatment areas. He had been stationed with a fourth-year resident in the geriatrics room. After four hours of problems from a tingling muscle in the index finger to stiff muscles to pinched nerves, Ritchie needed to get up and move around before he himself started complaining of stiff muscles.

He made his way to the cafeteria which had been set up as the waiting room with one corner being the break area for volunteers. Lined on one table were cups of steaming hot coffee and Ritchie gratefully grabbed one, welcoming the caffeine as it entered his system. One of the nurses asked if he wanted a sandwich and after accepting, he sat down.

A figure plopped down across from him immediately.

"Hello Dr. Kirk!"

Ritchie looked up with a tired smile. "Hey Dr. Megumi."

"I told you to call me Lyra!"

"So long as you call me Ritchie."

"Deal."

They sat in silence for a few moments, each drinking their coffee and having their sandwiches. Ritchie noted that for Lyra to be this quiet for this long must mean that she too was fairly exhausted from the morning clinic. Not that he was complaining. He was appreciative of the silence which gave him time to ponder a few things plaguing his thoughts. At first, he hadn't given it much priority but the longer the thoughts stayed in his brain, the more they stewed and made him think deeper.

"Something on your mind Ritchie?"

There went the silence.

Ritchie adjusted his stethoscope that was draped around his neck. "Hey Lyra, have you heard of Forrest Takeshi?"

Lyra shot him a quizzical glance but responded, "I've heard of him, sure. He's the new singer who's debuting with Melody Singer."

One corner of Ritchie's mouth went up. Lyra still referred to Melody by her full name which several people did normally when referring to stars, but they usually stopped once they knew Ritchie was married to Melody Singer. But not Lyra. She was still so awestruck by his wife and told Ritchie that she actually felt disrespectfully if she didn't use her full name.

"Yes but do you know much about him aside from that?"

"He's the brother of the famous chef Brock Takeshi!"

"Anything else?" Ritchie prompted.

"Well since he's pretty new, the fan-base for him isn't as strong as, say, for Ash Ketchum" – here Ritchie had to swallow a laugh as he thought about Ash's fan-base – "but it's accumulating. They say Forrest is a pretty big flirt."

Bingo. This is what Ritchie was afraid of.

"A big flirt, huh?" Why couldn't Brock have just kept those flirt genes to himself?

Lyra nodded. "And he's pretty hot. I definitely would not mind meeting him."

"I'm sure."

"They say he's an even bigger and better flirt than his brother was."

Ritchie raised an eyebrow. He hadn't been aware that Brock's flirting history was known to the public, but then again, a big-time chef like him and with the internet, no information was sacred.

"Why do you ask anyway?"

"Oh. No reason."

Nope. None at all. Except that when his wife had called last night from her dance studio and whenever she called the past several nights, she was always with one, Forrest Takeshi and despite the fact that he was the younger brother of a friend, Ritchie couldn't shake away the uneasy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

Melody slipped her phone out of her purse and quickly read the text message she had just received from Misty. It was simple, letting her know that Duplica had woken up and they were all meeting at Todd and Duplica's house later in the afternoon. Melody quickly replied about her relief and went to the next message from Ritchie. He asked when Melody would be back in town for lunch with Lyra.

At this, the singer's happy mood was slightly dampened and she frowned, wondering how to respond. As her manicured nails were poised over the sleek screen of her touch screen phone, someone poked Melody on both sides and she jumped with a squeak.

"Ahaha I'll never get tired of doing that!"

"Forrest!" Melody swatted his shoulder.

The tall man continued chuckling.

Melody put her phone away and tried to look angry but failed. With a barely suppressed smile, she asked, "What do you want?"

"Your grandfather asked me to come get you. We have to try on the outfits for tomorrow's photo shoot plus sample a few new ones."

"I thought we decided what to wear last week."

"Yeah but after they made the alterations, they want to make sure everything still fits."

Melody let out a mock sigh. "Let's go."

"Aw don't be like that. There's a couple of hot numbers in the new pile that I think you should definitely try on. Very pop star." Forrest shot Melody an impish grin and jogged out of reach as she tried to hit him again.

"Forrest!"

Misty placed a hand on Duplica's abdomen. "Have you felt a kick yet?"

Duplica shook her head. "Not yet."

Serena sat down on the other side of Duplica. "Maybe Baby Snap is a little slow like Todd."

"Rena!" Misty chastised but within seconds the three women fell into a fit of laughter, leaning back into the couch cushions for support.

Todd walked over holding a tray with glasses of juice. "What's so funny?"

This only threw the three friends further into laughter until Serena started to tear and Misty let out a snort. The entire time, Todd stood watching and once they were done, he merely placed the tray atop the coffee table and walked away, shaking his head.

It was late afternoon and after several more checks and tests, Duplica had been released from the hospital with strict instructions to keep a low-profile and not participate in anything that would excite her. Despite this prescription and Todd's qualms with inviting their friends over, Duplica insisted that they had come to see her and she would have them over. In the end, they reached a compromise that their friends would only stay for an hour then leave.

Todd really did not trust the women to not get excited. But he was not about to interfere and tell them to dial down the excitement and laughter. He'd already tried that moments ago and been at the receiving end of three extremely icy glares. Which resulted in him playing butler in his own household.

With a sigh, Todd joined Gary and Ash in the kitchen where they were slapping together slices of bread, cheese, and salami. Todd stopped short of the mess growing on the counter.

"What are you doing?"

Ash grabbed the ketchup and squeezed it in between two slices of salami before slamming them together. "Making sandwiches like you asked. Oh whoops, forgot the cheese in this one."

Todd continued watching in horror as Ash now peeled apart the layers of the sandwich, the mayonnaise and ketchup making the process more difficult. Ash eyed a slice of cheese lying astray on a plate and made a grab for it at the same time Gary did.

"Get your own cheese Oak!"

"No way! I had it first!"

A two-second tug-of-war ensued after which Gary and Ash simply decided to consume the halves of cheese they had each been left with.

"You know what? Forget the sandwiches. I think we have some microwaveable mini-quiche in the freezer," Todd finally said.

"Mini-quiche? What is the point of a mini-anything?" Ash commented, looking down at his poorly made, lop-sided sandwich before inserting half of into his mouth.

Gary did the same with his more neat and clean sandwich. "Women love mini things. Turns 'em on for some reason."

"So weird," Ash replied through a full mouth.

"Well, they don't like everything mini."

Todd was about to chime in when a female voice said, "Real mature Gary."

The other two men stopped chuckling but grins were still spread across their faces as Serena entered, rolling her eyes.

"What happened here?" she pointed to the destruction of bread and cheese then shook her head. "Never mind. Todd, listen, don't bother making anything, okay? We're thinking of heading home soon."

"How are you planning to go?" Todd asked, returning the box of mini-quiche to the freezer.

"We'll take the train."

"Actually I'm dropping Misty off tomorrow," Ash said just as his fiancé and Duplica walked in.

Serena looked at her best friend. "What?"

"Sorry Rena. We decided after breakfast and forgot to tell you. I'm taking the train to Pallet with Ash. I haven't seen Mrs. Ketchum in a while."

"That's okay. I'll take the train. All alone. By myself," Serena said, pretending to sniff and wipe away a tear.

Duplica raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Why not mention that to Damien? I bet he'll be your knight in shining armor and save you from your loneliness."

"Oooh," Misty and Ash intoned childishly while Todd looked on in confusion.

"Did I miss something? What happened to Danny?"

His wife waved a hand. "Get with it Todd. Danny is old news. Damien's the new stud muffin in town."

"Stud muffin?" Misty giggled. "I wouldn't call him a – well, no actually I guess I would."

"Misty!" Ash said with bits of cheese and bread spraying out of his mouth from his second sandwich.

"Ew gross Ash." Misty handed him a napkin. "And that's why you're not stud muffin."

"I'll have you know that there are plenty of girls who think that I am!"

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Sensing danger, Todd quickly redirected the conversation back to Serena who explained, "Danny and I haven't spoken for a while because he's been really busy but we were never exclusively together to begin with."

"I see. And who is this new stud muffin?"

Duplica quickly filled him in and Todd smirked. "Old prom date back in the scene huh? Sounds like a chick flick. Just let me know when the wedding is so I can be there to take pictures!"

"Guys I haven't even had a date with the guy yet! Leave me alone!" Serena exclaimed, her pale face turning a brilliant shade of red.

Todd chuckled along with his friends and curiously noticed that Gary was the only one not joining in. He sat on his barstool, chin in hand, the barest hint of a glower etched into his features. The photographer wondered if perhaps he had eaten too quickly and now had an upset stomach. He was about to comment when Serena asked to use the computer to check the train schedules.

"Sure. It should already be on."

"Thanks," Serena said and sat in front of the desktop situated in the kitchen. A few moments later, she emitted a loud "Oh crap!"

Thinking there was something wrong with his computer, Todd rushed over. "What's wrong?"

Serena's eyes were wide and she was shaking her head, one hand covering the screen. At this point, everyone else was now crowded around the tiny desk. Gary moved Serena's hand. Ash gulped nervously as Misty turned on him, blue-green eyes steely.

The dark-haired man slowly backed away with his hands up, "Now Misty, remember, this is the media. They lie. You know that. Misty!"

As Misty closed in on her fiancé, Todd turned back to the computer screen, shaking his head with a chuckle. Splashed on the _Viridian Vanity_ homepage that Serena had opened up was a large image of Ash and an annoying model Todd recalled working with a few years ago, Jessiebelle, their arms linked.

"I think I know her!" Gary said, leaning down close beside Serena.

"Oh? How?"

"We – um –"

"Right." Serena roughly shoved Gary away. She pulled up the train station website and after a quick consultation said, "Todd, can you drop me off at six?"

"I can take you," Gary offered.

"No."

"Ouch, burn," Duplica spoke from where she was now observing the unfolding entertainment in her kitchen.

Gary shot her a glare and went off towards where Misty was berating Ash, possibly to cajole Misty into further admonishing Ash, Todd thought.

"Todd, honey, on the way back from dropping off Serena, can you pick up a burger for me? Actually make that two burgers. And large fries. And a milkshake. This baby is one hungry little thing."

"And you were afraid us being here would be too much excitement," Serena said, looking up at Todd with a wry smile.

*****Author's Note*****

Well some problems have been solved. For now. But don't get too comfortable because there's more in store for our favorite characters! Please leave a review!

Also, the **CONTEST** that I mentioned previously...once I write up the details, I shall put it up on my profile for those interested in entering. Just a little fun thing. ^_^

Look forward to hearing from you all once again. I missed my dear reviewers!

Love and cookies,

_Angelicfairy _aka *Maura*

*****Review Responses***- Once again, thank you all for your patience!  
**

_Munchlax Jr_: Haha Ash will never be out of the dog house knowing him! And I'm glad you're liking the Gary and Serena interaction! ^^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_shut up and read or go away_: Aw thank you! I wish I had updated once a month the past few months but it was a little hectic. But I shall definitely try to be more regular now!

_bluejay511_: Sorry for the wait once again but I hope you enjoyed the read. Haha yeah poor Ash never gets a break!

_Leafy Savanna Chan_: Haha yes things are finally working out…sorta. For now. ^_^ And don't worry, Dawn will be back!

_CoolAwesomeRandomGirl123_: Lol. No Gary killing Ash…yet. Who knows? Haha I think Gary trusts Serena too much to ever suspect her of poisoning if she did ever try. That or he'd just not think about it. ^^

_Amazingly awesome person_: Hehe you're not weird rather you're awesome! ^_^ I didn't forget about Dawn either…she will be back!

_laucristi_ :Aw thank you! I'll keep doing fanfics so long as I can! ^^

_Leaf Silicon_: Thanks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Master of Death and Darkness_: Thank you! Haha well Gary was leaning in for the subconscious kiss but it's too soon for that. ^_~ I'm glad you enjoyed the Ash/Misty scenes as well and hope you liked this chapter!

_Black-Sakura27_: Thanks as always! Haha yeah Ash and Misty arguing is what feels right and perfect. I've got more bickering/bantering in store for them! Glad you're liking the Gary and Serena interactions as well! And I'm so flattered that you'd wait even a year for an update! Tho I hope I never take that long. If a year passes by without an update, that means something's wrong!

_PerfectPhoneix_: Aw thank you so much! Omg I would love to see all this on TV! It'd be so much fun! ^_^ Well now that Ash has planted the seed in Gary's mind, he's definitely thinking hard…or rather, at least he's thinking about Serena.

_poka_: Thanks! Hope you liked this chapter!

_s.a.e.i.a.-.e.u.c.a_: Thanks for being so patient! Hehe yup Gary was so close but it's too soon for a Gary/Serena kiss! And Little Dawn will be back very soon! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_big big misty fan_: Eh sorry I couldn't update earlier like you wanted but I'm back now and hoping to update faster this semester! ^_^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_SkyMistle214_: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter and thanks for mentioning the word choices. ^_^ Sometimes when writing such a long piece, I'm afraid I'll overuse the same words and not be able to portray each character properly.

_licoricejellybean_: Haha yup Ash and Misty finally quit arguing but really, for how long can those two go without a little bickering? ^^

_Water Lily_: Aw thanks for being so patient and persistent! Sorry for the wait but I'm back and hope you'll stick around till the end! ^^

_LotusSnapper_: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! ^^ Hehe well Gary doesn't know yet about wanting Serena to be his girlfriend. Poor guy's all confused in the brain about that. Heh. Ash is always very close to escaping Misty's temper and then…well, he's very good igniting her fury, not so good at getting away from it. Lol. And nope Serena doesn't know about the ultimatum yet but oh..she will. Her reaction…well we'll see. ^_~ Thank you so much for the detailed review which I enjoyed reading very much because it definitely lets me know that you understood what I was getting across. ^^

_Guibin_: Serena stranded out in the ocean with only Gary could potentially result in Gary's untimely death. Haha. The guys in boxers and capes are supposed to be some random cosplayers. Clearly they're not very good at cosplay. ^^ And saying that you really like Serena, the OC, makes me super happy because it lets me know that I'm doing my job as a writer. ^_^

_ziggyricer9615_: Hehe Gary was almost about to kiss her but of course, it's way too early for that kinda business! ^_^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for the review!

_Kur0Kishi_: Hope you enjoyed the more! ^^

_Chika Hoshi_: Aw don't worry about a late review, especially since I'm about four months behind on the updates!...Haha if only Serena were pretending. With any other guy, she might not have been so dense but since it's Gary and she can't imagine him ever trying to kiss her…well there ya go. Lol yes no matter how natural it is to "pass gas" girls still do find have an "ew" reaction…at least I do. And then I laugh. Also, I was just checking out your profile and I saw that you had me on your recommendation list and I think I'm going to be smiling the rest of the night because of it. Seriously thank you so much! ^_^ I'm really honored and flattered!

_whyiseverpennametaken_: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Haha well Ash and Misty are done with that argument but as you know, they're never done for good! ^^ I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

_evelyn-shaye_: Aw I'm glad your sister recommended this to you and that you enjoyed it that much! ^^ It means a lot! Hehe well it was too soon for Gary and Serena to kiss but you know they'll have to eventually. ^_~

_Yugi937_: Thanks so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much! ^^

_pokemonv3_: Thank you to both you and your friend! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

_Athletic nerd_: Hahahaha normally it is taboo for girls to admit they're wrong but every once in a while, it's okay to break that code. ^_~ LOL you gonna use the pool pick-up now? Let me know how that goes! As always, thanks for your great reviews!

_Airyfairyy_: Glad you're liking the story and am flattered that you put studying for finals aside to read. It's been a while since then so hopefully you've passed your finals and don't have any exams to study for after reading this chapter! ^_^

_Impatient Princess_: Sorry! Please don't lose hope! I am hoping to be back with regular updates this semester. Thanks for reading! ^_^

_cute jamie_: Hi! Thank you so much for reading MTM and coming on over here! Glad to have you aboard! ^_~ More Gary and Serena on the way along with more of everything!

_magiquill9_: Thank you very much! I'm glad you managed to find the story too! ^_^ Also glad you're enjoying it even without the pokemon. I really wanted to focus on the characters and their relationships with one another. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_maverickiceman_: Hahaha I loved your Gary/Ritchie snippet. That's totally how it would happen, Gary being the dense dude he is. ^_^


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